Eastern European civilians undergo military training amid Russia threat

FoxNews.com ^ | April 06, 2015 | Associated Press (AP)

[WhiskeyX]

WARSAW, Poland – NATO aircraft scream across eastern European skies and American armored vehicles rumble near the border with Russia on a mission to reassure citizens that they're safe from Russian aggression.

But these days, ordinary people aren't taking any chances.

In Poland, doctors, shopkeepers, lawmakers and others are heeding a call to receive military training in case of an invasion. Neighboring Lithuania is restoring the draft and teaching citizens what to do in case of war. Nearby Latvia has plans to give university students military training next year.

The drive to teach ordinary people how to use weapons and take cover under fire reflects soaring anxiety among people in a region where memories of Moscow's domination — which ended only in the 1990s — remain raw. People worry that their security and hard-won independence are threatened as saber-rattling intensifies between the West and Russia over the conflict in Ukraine, where more than 6,000 people have died.

In Poland, the oldest generation remembers the Soviet Army's invasion in 1939, at the start of World War II. Younger people remain traumatized by the repression of the communist regime that lasted more than four decades.

It's a danger felt across the EU newcomer states that border Russia.

"There's a real feeling of threat in our society," Latvian defense ministry spokeswoman Aija Jakubovska told The Associated Press. Military training for students is a "way we can increase our own defense capabilities."

Most people are still looking to NATO's military umbrella as their main guarantor of security. Zygmunt Wos waved goodbye to a detachment of U.S. armored vehicles leaving the eastern Polish city of Bialystok with apprehension: "These troops should be staying with us," he said, "not going back to Germany."

[elhombrelibre]

They should be studying asymmetrical warfare too. I know we have our kooks and cranks on FReeRepublic who believe the reestablishment of the Russian/Soviet empire is good for worldwide conservatism, or that it's a check on Obama. But the people of the former captive nations know full well the horrors of Russian and Soviet domination.

[WhiskeyX]

Note how the Polish government embraced the independent civilian militia groups as contributors to the national defense warranting the assistance of the Polish Government in training.

[CarmichaelPatriot]

Shoot! Does this mean AR-15’s and 30 round magazines will be in short supply again?

[elhombrelibre]

A whole nation in arms is a bigger problem for an evil empire like the one Putin wants to reestablish.

[elhombrelibre]

Could be.

[Flintlock]

Well, it has worked for the Swiss not for a few hundred years or so.................

[FreedomPoster]

The poor Poles manage to inhabit a land with no natural borders astride an historic east-west invasion route. Not an Rx for peace, for sure.

But yes, universal basic training, arms ownership, and schutzenfests would appear to be a good idea for them.

[Krosan]

Poles only ended universal basic training in 2008, so these decisions were made before Russian invasion of Georgia. Now they have a 7 year gap in trained reserve.

[elhombrelibre]

At a minimum everyone should have shotguns and bolt action rifles available to kill invading Russians. They need to learn how to employ all types of asymmetrical war from homemade bombs, molotov cocktails, VBIEDs, etc.

[trebb]

Note how the Polish government embraced the independent civilian militia groups as contributors to the national defense warranting the assistance of the Polish Government in training.

Makes me proud that the pre-Ellis Island family name was "Blazejewski"...

[SunkenCiv]

Note: this topic is from 4/07/2015.