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Polish Troops Look Forward to Iraq Duty
EFL
The Polish public is less than supportive about sending their soldiers into Iraq. But as Poland readies for its largest peacekeeping mission ever, soldiers say they are looking forward to showcasing their military prowess while offering Iraqis a helping hand. "We have some idea about what life will be there - certainly dangerous - but we are trained for that," says Pvt. Jacek Herbot, 23. "It will be difficult for us to understand each other, hard to adjust to Arab customs. I hope they will not treat us as enemies."
Most won't, some will...
The Polish-led force of 9,000 will include soldiers from 22 nations and be responsible for enforcing security in south-central Iraq. A command staff of about 250 already is in Iraq, and 2,000 Polish troops left Tuesday for the Middle East. Officially they start their tour of duty on Sept. 1. "Our tasks are standard: patrolling, convoying, searches of vehicles and buildings," said Maj. Zenon Szczybylo, who will command a mechanized battalion of 420 Poles, 100 Latvians and 45 Lithuanians. "But when we are shot at, we have to respond with fire." For the soldiers, the mission - Poland’s largest military operation since World War II - will allow them to show how much the Polish military has modernized since it was little more than an oversized, Soviet satellite force 13 years ago. The former Soviet bloc nation, which joined NATO in 1999, has struggled to raise its military to Western standards under a tight budget constraints. But most observers say the troops are ready for the task. For the Iraq mission, commanders have chosen the best divisions and are outfitting them with the latest equipment - including new lightweight uniforms, TRG22 sniper rifles from Finland and U.S.-made Humvees.
As opposed to those nations sending troops to a U.N. mission.
"They are very ambitious and they will do everything to do a good job," said Lt. Col. Uwe Semprich, a spokesman at NATO’s Multinational Corps Northeast, which groups Polish, Danish and German troops in the Baltic port of Szczecin. "They know that there is always something that you can learn to do better." Most of Polish troops heading for Iraq this week come from the elite Szczecin 12th Mechanized Division, the Polish army’s most modern and best equipped, chosen for the mission after receiving top marks in NATO exercises. The division - which is contributing two battalions and a command staff to work at the sector headquarters in Hillah 40 miles south of Baghdad - earlier sent troops to peacekeeping operations in the Middle East and the Balkans.
Excellent!
Troops have been training since May, perfecting their peacekeeping and shooting skills. They also are taking lessons from the field, adjusting their training based on reports from Iraq. American advisers warned, for instance, that Iraqis often attack vehicles at the end of the column at night, prompting the Poles to prepare more night watch equipment. The training has also included classes with experts from the Polish Center for Eastern Studies on Iraqi life, language and customs, with an emphasis on solving conflicts and negotiate. "There was a lot of stress on body language and behavior to avoid misunderstandings," said Maj. Dariusz Faszcza, a Szczecin Division spokesman. "What could be taken for a quarreling group in Poland, can be a joyful company in Iraq."
"We don’t have a lot of automatic weapons at our weddings."
Along with their peacekeeping roles, Col. Waldemar Czarnecki said their aim will be building good relations with local leaders and rebuilding the country’s infrastructure - including roads, hospitals and bridges destroyed during the war. "If we follow the rules then I don’t think it will cause negative reactions," Czarnecki said. "But you cannot rule out terrorist acts."
Good attitude, welcome aboard.
Posted by: Steve 2003-08-06
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=17357