Polish Noncommissioned Officers Graduate U.S. Army Course

19 December 2007

Polish NCOs and instructors after the U.S. Army's NCO Academy Graduation, including Sergeant Major Mariusz Piwonski, LTC Ray Wojcik, Sergeant Major Zbigniew Koscielniak, Sergeant Major Bartłomiej Augustyniak, Sergeant Major Tomasz Nowakowski, Sergeant Major Tomasz Kepa, Sergeant Major Jacek Okupski, Sergeant Major Paweł Wojtas. (more photos)

At the Warrior Leadership Course (WLC) graduation the distinctive Red and White banner of the Republic of Poland, was proudly carried by Warrant Officer Michal Kempka.  WO Kempka was also selected as a WLC Distinguished International Student.

Sergeant Major Mariusz Piwonski, Poland's Sergeant Major of the Army, and six other Polish Sergeant Majors attended the Warrior Leadership Course graduation at the 7th U.S. Army Joint Multinational Training Command in Grafenwoehr, Germany on December 12, 2007.  Eight Polish Noncommissioned Officer (NCO)-leaders graduated the Course.  Polish Army Warrant Officer Michal Kempka was selected as a Distinguished International Student while three other Polish NCOs served as assistant-instructors during the tough 30-day course.  The Course is the first step in the U.S. Army's overall NCO Education System.  While they were at the Command in Germany, Sergeant Major Piwonski and his distinguished delegation were escorted by Lt. Colonel Ray Wojcik of the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw's Office of Defense Cooperation, and were hosted by Command Sergeant Major Darieus A. ZaGara, CSM, 7th U.S. Army Joint Multinational Training Command, Grafenwoehr, Germany. Sergeant Major Piwonski and his team participated in meetings to discuss U.S. Army cooperation in further transformation of Poland's NCO Corps.  The Polish NCO leaders also received a tour of the Command, the 7th U.S. Army's "world-class" international training facility, where they saw the latest in U.S. Army training.  A high point for the group was observing American, Polish, Romanian, Russian and other international soldiers training side-by-side.  The Polish NCO leaders were additionally hosted to a visit at the Command's NCO Academy by Command Sergeant Major Erik Richard Ray Frey, Commandant, and First Sergeant James A. Mitchell, Deputy Commandant.  To date, over $400,000 in U.S. Security Assistance funding and Illinois State Partner programs have provided training for hundreds of Polish NCOs in courses ranging from the Warrior Leadership Course to the U.S. Army's Sergeant Major Academy.