Embassy Events 2004

General Bell meets with Polish officers from the Pomeranian Military District

At the invitation of Lieutenant General Edward Pietrzyk, Commander of the Polish Land Forces, General B.B. Bell, Commanding General of U.S. Army Europe (USAREUR) and of NATO's Allied Land Component Command - Heidelberg, was in Poland December 6-8.

Reciprocating Lieutenant General Pietrzyk's visit to Heidelberg earlier this year, General Bell visited the Pomeranian Military District Headquarters and NATO's Joint Force Training Center in Bydgoszcz, and met with senior Land Forces unit commanders at the Drawsko-Pomorskie Training Area.

General Bell's visit concluded with an official meeting with Poland's Minister of National Defense Jerzy Szmajdzinski.

During his visit, General Bell reviewed USAREUR's bilateral cooperation program with the Polish Land Forces, which has involved assistance in preparing Polish units for the mission in Iraq, development of Polish Non-Commissioned Officers at 7th Army Training Command schools, and training activities between USAREUR and Polish Land Forces partnership units.

Minister Szmajdzinski noted in his remarks to General Bell, that these initiatives have been vital in promoting a transformation within the Polish Armed Forces.

General Bell also discussed with senior Polish military leaders operational issues related to ongoing coalition campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq, in which Polish troops continue to contribute extensively.

Most significantly, General Bell and his Polish counterparts focused on prospects for expanding and qualitatively enhancing combined activities between Polish, U.S., and other Alliance forces.