embassy events 2009

Commander Polish Operations Command USEUCOM Visit

2 April 2009

Commander Polish Operations Command USEUCOM Visit

Lieut. Gen. Bronisław Kwiatkowski, the Commander of the Polish Operations Command, visited Headquarters United States European Command (USEUCOM), Stuttgart, Germany via the Mil-to-Mil program on March 31, 2009. General Kwiatkowski participated in the Joint Control Board Briefing conducted by General Bantz Craddock, Commander of USEUCOM and Supreme Allied Commander Europe where he received briefings from the Senior Leaders of USEUCOM regarding roles and responsibilities of the Combatant Command. Briefings and discussions between Vice Admiral Richard Gallagher, Deputy Commander of USEUCOM, and Gen. Kwiatkowski centered on organizational and strategic level roles and responsibilities.

Maj. Gen. Harold “Punch” Moulton, Director of Operations (ECJ3) articulated the concept of the European Command Operation Center and its crucial role to control operations. Maj. Gen. Paul “Snoopy” Schafer, Director Strategy, Policy and Assessments (ECJ5/8) discussed the formulation of Strategic Plans regarding the commitment of assets. Gen. Kwiatkowski’s initiative to better define Operations Command’s tasks and purpose in regards to overseas operations will be enhanced by his briefings at the EUCOM Operations Center. Kwiatkowski’s organization, the Polish Operations Command, is responsible for all command and control of Polish Armed Forces deployed outside the Republic of Poland. Regionally, Poland receives the most U.S. Foreign Military Financing (FMF) assistance funding and is also the sixth largest FMF recipient in the world. To date this includes over $285 million in direct FMF grants and more than $3.9 billion in FMF loans. Additionally, Poland has received more than $31 million dollars under the Combined Education Training Program (CETP) which includes: the International Military Education Training (IMET) Program; Military to Military (M2M) Program; State Partnership Program (SPP) and Combating Terrorism Fellowship Program (CTFP). U.S. support programs assist Poland transform and modernize the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland.