Posted on 10/05/2008 10:42:33 AM PDT by Matt_Rel
Poland ended its military presence in Iraq Saturday with a ceremony for its approximately 900 troops at Camp Echo, Qadasiyah Province.
The Polish army commanded Multi-National Division - Center South, which operated throughout Qadasiyah Province.
Polish forces completed 10 rotations in Iraq, which ended October 1, and commanded 10 national contingents, including Armenia, Latvia, Mongolia, Poland, Romania, Ukraine, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
To the memory and honor of the Polish soldiers
who fought, worked and lost their lives in Iraq, 2003-2008
It was in the first days of the operation Iraqi Freedom, 2003. Despite numerous attempts of the British forces to take a startegic port of Um Qasr, it was still in the hands of Saddam's Republican Guard. The decision of the Allied could then be only one:
Time for special forces - time for GROM (Thunder)!
[click the picture above to see a real video of GROM's naval assault on UmQasr port]
After defeating Saddam's army, Iraq was devided into three stabilization zones: American , British and Polish, where multinational forces were also deployed under the Polish command.
From the very beginning Polish soldiers took part in combat operations against organized terrorist groups that frightened the local people.
[click the picture above to see a presentation about Polish soldiers in Iraq]
Soon the Polish in uniforms became the real nightmare for terrorists ...
....and the real hope for tormented civilians.
After tens of years of Saddam's bloody regime, medical units of the Polish Army organized health care and built hospitals and rehabilitation centers, including first ever built for the children suffering from the cerebral palsy, the children who officially never existed in Saddam's Iraq.
MISSION: COMPLETED
...TIME TO RETURN HOME!
"We will return to Iraq as tourists", said the commander of the Polish Military Mission in Iraq.
Iraqi children bid farewell to Poles with hugs and flowers
Well done, White Eagles!
Well done!
Poland is proud of you and salutes you.
Unfortunately, freedom is not free...
Twenty two White Eagles, the soldiers of the Polish Armed Forces
lost their lives under the Iraqi sky
col. Hieronim KUPCZYK 12th Armored Brigade, age 44, 2003-11-06
cpr. Gerard WASIELEWSKI 12th Armored Brigade, age 20, 2003-12-22
N.C.O. Marek KRAJEWSKI Army Lublin Staff contact officer, age 34, 2004-05-08
cpt. Slawomir STROZAK 18th Airborne Assault Batallion, age 34, 2004-05-08
cpr. Andrzej ZIELKE 16th Zhulavian Maintenance Batallion, Elblag ,age 26, 2004-06-08
platoon leader Tomasz KRYGIEL 12th Armored Brigade,
2004-06-08
cpr. Marcin RUTKOWSKI 1th Mazurian Artillery Brigade, age 24, 2004-07-29
cpr.Grzegorz RUSINEK 18th Airborne Assault Batallion, age 21, 2004-08-19
cpr. Sylwester KUTRZYK 18th Airborne Assault Batallion, age 24, 2004-08-19
cpr. Krystian ANDRZEJCZAK 16th Zhulavian Maintenance Batallion, Elblag, age 23, 2004-08-21
lt.Piotr MAZUREK
15th Mazurian&n Batalion, age 25, 2004-09-12
lt. Daniel ROZYNSKI 16th Airborne Division ,age 24, 2004-09-12
cpr. Grzegorz NOSEK 16th Airborne Division ,age 28, 2004-09-12
NCO Paweł JELONEK 25th Airborne Cavalry Brigade ,age 30, 2004-12-15
NCO Karol SZLAZAK 25thi Airborne Cavalry Brigade, age 28, 2004-12-15
mjr. Jacek KOSTECKI 2nd Peace Mission Hospital, Wrocław, age 34, 2004-12-15
cpr.Roman GORALCZYK 25th Airborne Cavalry Brigade, age 25, 2005-02-25
sgt. Tomasz MURKOWSKI 13th Anti-aircraft Regiment, Elblag, age 30, 2006-11-11
cpr. Piotr NITA 25th Airborne Cavalry Brigade, age 23, 2007-02-07
cpr. Tomasz JURA 25th Airborne Cavalry Brigade, age 25, 2007-04-20
mjr Jaroslaw POSADZY 25th Airborne Cavalry Brigade, age 39, 2007-07-17
sgt. Andrzej FILIPEK 3rd Mechanized Brigade, age 31, 2007-11-02
REST IN PEACE
WE SALUTE YOU
Ping.
God save Poland. Now they must face the Russians once again.
Heartfelt thanks to our Polish allies, and Godspeed.
ditto
Thank you this amazing tribute to Poland.
God Save Poland, indeed.
I’m a bit misty eyed.
Well done, White Eagles!
Well done!
Thank you, Poland!!
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God bless Poland and the Polish military. Mission well done. Thank you.
Many heartfelt thanks to Poland and the bravery of her sons and daughters.
Very nice presentation...
God Bless Poland and thank you!
Well done....well done.
Thank you Poland....May God bless you, keep you safe and keep you strong.....
May God bless Poland and keep her free!
Thank you Poland!!
God bless them all, and may those who died rest in His peace.
BTTT
Something about those Poles, I love them.
Thank you Poland.
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