recent odc activities 2008 

Polish Senior Officers Attend West Point’s “General Kosciusko Day” 

12 May 2008

Polish Delegation with Friends of General Kosciusko. (more photos)

Seven visiting Polish Generals were key participants at the annual General Tadeusz Kosciusko Day events at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York.  General Kosciusko is remembered as a national hero and great patriot in both Poland and America.  He is also known as a soldier, statesman, Father of American Calvary, and for inspiring General George Washington to establish a permanent military academy in the new United States, which became West Point.  The Polish delegation was led by General Janusz Bojarski, Director of Personnel at the Ministry of Defense, who gave keynote remarks at the event.  U.S. Ambassador to Poland Victor Ashe’s remarks were presented by Lieutenant Colonel Ray Wojcik, Office of Defense Cooperation, U.S. Embassy Warsaw.  Additionally, General Lech Soczewica represented the Polish Embassy in Washington, DC.

 

To see Ambassador Ashe's remarks, please click here.

 

During the visit to West Point, the Polish officers met with General Franklin L. Hagenbeck, the 57th Supertendent of West Point.  After an office call with General Hagenbeck, the delegation began a 2-day visit exploring the accessions, education and training systems of West Point.  The Delegation was in the United States as part of a two-week Distinguished Visitor Orientation Tour (DVOT) visiting several U.S. military facilities with a focus on U.S. military personnel systems; training; and Noncommissioned Officer Development programs.  Among key locations visited were: Arlington Cemetery, the Pentagon and National Defense University in Washington DC; Training and Doctrine Command and Joint Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia; Combined Arms Center, Ft Leavenworth Kansas; the Air University, Maxwell Air Base, Montgomery, Alabama; The Sergeants Major Academy, Ft Bliss, Texas; and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York.  The DVOT program is part of the International Military Training and Education (IMET) Program which is funded by the U.S. Department of State.  At over $25M to date, Poland is the largest recipient of IMET funding in the region.