Commander Piotr Sikora (Polish Navy)
Commander Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1                     

(COM SNMCMG1)

 

Commander Piotr Sikora was born in 1969 in Paczków near the Polish-Czech border in the southern part of Poland. He was educated at the “Carolinum” College in Nysa and next joined the Polish Navy as a midshipman in 1988. As an officer trainee he took part in the 6-month long Grand Regatta “Columbus” in 1992 on board the Polish Navy yacht “Koga III”. Commander Sikora graduated from the Naval Academy in Gdynia with a Master of Science degree in Navigation and Naval Weapons in 1994.

Cdr Piotr Sikora started his career as Gunnery and Minewarfare Officer and subsequentely served onboard three minesweepers. After three years he became an Executive Officer and in 1999, he was granted commanding officer qualification.

He assumed his first command in 2002 and became the Commanding Officer of the minesweeper ORP ŚNIARDWY. In 2003 he was deployed to the NATO Reaction Force, Mine Counter Measures North, as Commanding Officer of the minehunter ORP FLAMING. In November 2003 he assumed Command of the minehunter ORP CZAJKA. During his command, ORP CZAJKA completed a NATO deployment as a part of MCMFORNORTH. In 2004 he was promoted to Lieutenant Commander and assumed command of the minesweeper ORP MAMRY as the 1st MCM Division Commander.

In the second half of 2005 he went back to SNMCMG1 on staff training.

Commander Sikora attended further postgraduate studies at the Faculty of Command and Naval Operations in the Naval Academy in Gdynia until 2006. From 2006 to 2007 he was appointed underwater systems specialist in the Logistics Department of the Polish Navy Headquarters. He then became for the next three years, the specialist in the Sea Training Division of the Polish Navy HQ, with the responsibility for national and international maritime training, exercises and Historic Ordnance Disposal Operations for Mine Counter Measures Forces. In 2010 Commander Piotr Sikora returned to the 13th MCM Squadron as Deputy Commander/Chief of Staff for the next three years. Before deployment to SNMCMG1, he was appointed as a Chief of Senior Officers’ Training Division of the 3rd Ships Flotilla in Gdynia and was then promoted to the rank of Commander.

Commander Sikora attended the Naval Academy in Gdynia for the basic Counter Improvised Explosive Devices (C-IED) Course and also their Tactical Planning Course and Operations Planning Course. He then attended the Comprehensive Operations Planning Course in the Latvian National Defence Academy, and finally the Senior Staff Officers Course for Commanders in 2012.

Piotr Sikora lives in Gdynia with wife Katarzyna and daughter Natalia. They share a passion for travelling. He also loves sailing, mountain walking and running. He also enjoys music, reading and history.