Poland names new commander of troops in Iraq

WARSAW, Jan. 3 (Xinhuanet) -- Polish Defense Minister Radoslaw Sikorski on Tuesday named a new commander to lead his country's troops in Iraq after an extended mission was approved by the Polish president last week.

General Edward Gruszka, who previously served as commander of Polish troops in Karbala in central Iraq, will command Poland's sixth troop rotation in the Middle East country, Sikorski told a news conference.

Poland's president, Lech Kaczynski, approved the extension of the country's military mission in Iraq until Dec. 31, 2006, reversing a decision by the last government to bring all troops home within the coming weeks, his office said in a statement on Dec. 30, 2005.

However, the Polish contingent will be reduced from the present 1, 450 men to 900 by March, officials have said.

Polish soldiers, first sent to Iraq in September 2003, are commanding a multinational division in a region south of Baghdad and helping to train the new Iraqi Army's 8th Division.

BG Edward GRUSZKA was born in Bielsko-Biala, Poland on 13th October 1957. He has served at numerous command and staff posts throughout his military career. BG Gruszka was commissioned a second lieutenant of the Wroclaw Army Infantry College in 1980. He has commanded at every level from platoon to Brigade. His most recent assignment was as the Commanding Officer of the 25th Air Cavalry Brigade in Tomaszow Mazowiecki.

From November 1980 until January 1986 BG Gruszka served as Recce Platoon Leader, then Assault Company Commander and next he took command of the 48th Recce Company in the 6th Airborne Division.

In 1988 he attended the Warsaw National Defense University and after graduation in 1991 , became COS of the 16th Air-assault Battalion. In June 1993 after a tour of duty as a Chief of S-3 in the 6th Airborne Brigade BG Gruszka took command of the 16th Air - Assault Battalion. In 1994 he had been appointed as COS and then CO of the Polish Military Contingent on Golan Heights in the UNDOF UN Mission where he served until 1996. In 1997 he took over Polish Battalion in SFOR (BiH) and successfully commanded that battalion in the field over 18 months. From December 1998 to October 1999 BG Gruszka served as a Chief of Training Branch in the Cracow Military District and Chief of CIMIC in the 2nd Air-Mechanized Corps. Promoted to Colonel in 1999 he was assigned as a Deputy Commanding Officer of the NORDPOL BDE (SFOR , BiH.)

In June 2000 BG Gruszka assumed command of the 25th Air Cavalry Brigade and was promoted to the rank Brigadier General in 2002. During this period of time he was chosen to serve for over 6 months as the 1st Brigade Combat Team commander in Iraq, during IRAQI FREEDOM Operation.

In October 2004 he became COS of the 2nd Mechanized Corps in Cracow. BG Gruszka's education includes: 1980 Army Infantry College at Wroclaw ; 1984 ABN Master Parachute Course; 1991 National Defense University, Warsaw; 1993 Staff Officer Course, Holland; 1998 Tactical Operational Course, Warsaw; 1988 Staff Officers Course, Sweden; 2000 War College, National Defense Academy, Warsaw; 2003 Force Canadian Language School, Borden, Canada. He is also a qualified Parachute Jump Instructor, having more than 400 jumps.

BG Gruszka is married to Alicja. They have two sons Maciej and Michal.

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