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Poland

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Capital: Warsaw
Area: 312,685 sq km
Comparative area: slightly smaller than New Mexico
Population (July 2011 estimate): 38,441,588
Official language: Polish
State Partner: Illinois
International Organizations and Agreements: European Union, NATO, NATO’s Partnership for Peace

The United States and Poland have enjoyed warm bilateral relations since 1989 and Poland enjoys most-favored-nation status. In addition to supporting international counterterrorism efforts and NATO’s ISAF mission in Afghanistan, Poland cooperates closely with the United States on such issues as democratization, nuclear nonproliferation, human rights, regional cooperation in Central and Eastern Europe, and UN reform.

Polish military doctrine reflects the same defense posture as its Alliance partners. The Polish military continues to restructure and to modernize its equipment. Although budget constraints remain a challenge to modernization efforts, Poland is financially healthier than many of its neighbors, and has been able to move forward with U.S. assistance on acquiring F-16 multi-role fighters, C-130 cargo planes, HMMWVs, and other items key to the military's restructuring.

Poland continues to be a regional leader in support and participation in the NATO Partnership for Peace Program and has actively engaged most of its neighbors and other regional actors to build stable foundations for future European security arrangements. Poland has recently focused its participation in international security missions on those managed by NATO and the EU, and maintains a battalion in NATO’s Kosovo Force (KFOR), is a leading contributor to NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, and has deployed military forces to Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and NATO Training Mission in Iraq.

There are several military arrangements in place with Poland including an Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement, Status of Forces Agreement, Ballistic Missile Defense Agreement, Declaration on Strategic Program and special operations forces and aviation detachment memoranda of understanding. They routinely participate in exercises with U.S. forces including: Immediate Response, Jackal Stone, Baltic Operations, and Combined Endeavor.

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  • August 21, 2012

    An Active Autumn Ahead

    As we wrap up high summer, it's a sensible time to look ahead at the fall and think about the big tasks facing the NATO Alliance and US European Command. The Olympics and the Jubilee fade to memory, and hopefully most folks have managed to break away for a short vacation to recharge. The autumn will be a busy time.
  • March 13, 2012

    First-Ever Regional Cyber Endeavor Seminar Held in Montenegro

    I spent last week in the warm and hospitable city of Podgorica, Montenegro, with a EUCOM team executing the first-ever regional Cyber Endeavor event.
  • November 22, 2011

    School donation continues long-standing relationship with Poland

    Just last week, I visited the Krakow School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, which was heavily damaged in the spring floods of 2010, to deliver furniture and pianos donated by the U.S. Government.
  • February 16, 2011

    Cyber Defense is a Team Sport

    The theme of this conference was “Empowering a Cyber Defense Workforce" and included over one hundred participants with 40 partner cyber defenders from 18 countries, NATO, and other international organizations. The cheer squad came from USEUCOM's components, DoD agencies and industry.
  • October 6, 2010

    Special Operations Media Engagement…the future of investing

    I believe most people think that special operations forces never interact with the media.  That is, of course, until something bad happens, forcing someone to explain the      situation in an ambiguous manner.
  • September 16, 2010

    LOGEX 10: CAPSTONE

    During the past week of LOGEX 10, I’ve had the distinct honor to serve among and work with some of the best people in the multinational logistics community. I was impressed by the professionalism and competence of our friends in US Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM) J7, Allied Command Transformation (ACT) and our NATO Allies and partners. These characteristics truly show during events such as this and I am proud to be associated with the exercise and everyone here.
  • September 13, 2010

    NATO's Challenges and Achievements in Afghanistan

    Last week I completed my sixth trip to Afghanistan since becoming SACEUR. As always, I was struck by the challenges we face – corruption, ANSF attrition, and IEDs to name a few. More importantly, however, I am encouraged by the progress I saw during my visit and am more convinced than ever than we can succeed in Afghanistan.  
  • June 28, 2010

    NATO chaplains work to be Stronger Together

    Military chaplains from Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, Canada, Poland, Germany, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Italy, and the U.S. comprised the group that met at the Italian Air Force (ITAF) Headquarters for the annual NATO Air Force Chaplains Conference in Rome from June 13-18.
  • June 16, 2010

    Jumping In

    I’m finally back home after nearly two weeks on the road and it has been more than a week now since I jumped into Iron Mike Drop Zone in Normandy, France to commemorate the 66th Anniversary of D-Day.  I’ll never forget the experience –  not just because of the historic significance, but also because of those that jumped with me that day.  As you probably well know, British, Canadian and American forces jumped to secure the Allied flanks on D-Day, but personnel from Australia, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, France, Greece, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and Poland also took part in the landings.  On D-Day 66, I hit the ground, collected my parachute, and then walked off the drop zone with British, French, Polish, Dutch, German and fellow Americans paratroopers surrounding me.  On my aircraft alone, we had Dutch, German and Polish paratroopers and I earned both the Dutch and Polish jump wings that day.    
  • April 11, 2010

    The Loss of a Great Friend

    I'm flying over the deep blue of the southern Pacific Ocean -- enroute to New Zealand and Australia for security discussions about Afghanistan -- and I've just learned of the death of Polish General and Chief of Defense Franciszek Gagor, along with the President of Poland and much of the senior leadership.

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  • July 9, 2012

    Saying goodbye

    The USAFE band performed at the International Music Festival in Poland where they teamed up with the Polish Air Force Band to make some beautiful music. Story by SSgt Joshua Peargin
  • October 12, 2011

    A sky full of parachutes

    More than 1000 Sky Soldiers of the US Army Europe 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team descended on the drop zone at Hohenfels training area in Germany. US Army Europe’s Richard Bumgardner has the story.
  • October 5, 2011

    FSTE Jump Day Story

    Soldiers from the Polish Land Forces join 'Sky Soldiers' of U.S. Army Europe's 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team for a parachute jump into the Hohenfels (Germany) Training Area as part of the brigade's ongoing Full-Spectrum Training Exercise. More than 100 Polish troops were among the approximately 650 paratroopers who participated in this morning jump, while another 650 'Sky Soldiers' are scheduled to jump later in the day.
  • June 7, 2010

    Patriots to Poland

    American and Polish soldiers conduct a joint patriot missile training exercise
  • January 13, 2010

    Honoring the Unknown in Poland

    A team of U.S. Air Force Airmen traveled around Poland to meet with the country's military leaders. Along the way they got the chance to play a role in a ceremony honoring some of the nation's nameless heroes.