Embassy Events 2006

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Embassy Representatives, MAJ Gary Foster, MAJ Ray Wojcik and Ms. Malgosia Fedor from the Office of Defense Cooperation, visited the 2nd Driver's Training Center (DTC) in Ostroda, Poland. 2nd DTC, trains over 4,000 soldiers a year to drive various military vehicles. The introduction into Poland's military of the U.S. Army's Highly Mobile Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) marked an advancement in Poland's military transformation and added a new mission and capabilities for the 2nd DTC. 2nd DTC has trained over 300 Polish soldiers to drive HMMWVs in normal, rough terrain and night time conditions and to also perform, operator-level maintenance. 2nd DTC uses a curriculum based on U.S. Army methods and modified for Poland's needs. Poland's HMMWV instructors were trained in the United States as part of a 23 million dollar Foreign Military Financing (FMF) grant program executed through the Office of Defense Cooperation. This grant included delivery of 217 HMMWVs, training, training materials and spare parts to prepare Poland for HMMWV integration. The first HMMWV was officially transferred to Poland by US American Ambassador Victor Ashe during the September, 2004 International Trade Show in Kielce, Poland. The Office of Defense Cooperation provides Security Assistance to the Polish military by executing a large range of training and equipping initiatives and programs aimed at assisting Poland with military transformation.