Military Exercise
Polish soldiers training in Elkins with National Guard
The Polish Territorial Defense Forces is learning training and tactics from the National Guard that officials hope to implement in Poland.
Photos by Jan Pawlicki Members of the Polish Territorial Defense Forces ride horses up a mountain trail in Randolph County this week. More than 100 Polish soldiers have been training in Randolph County with the West Virginia National Guard.
The Polish Territorial Defense Forces is learning training and tactics from the National Guard that officials hope to implement in Poland.
Photos by Jan Pawlicki Members of the Polish Territorial Defense Forces ride horses up a mountain trail in Randolph County this week. More than 100 Polish soldiers have been training in Randolph County with the West Virginia National Guard.
Trending
ELKINS -- More than 100 members of the Polish Territorial Defense Forces have come to the Elkins area to train in the Ridge Runner program with the West Virginia National Guard and Special Forces.
The Polish TDF is a relatively new program, established in 2017. It now includes more than 22,000 soldiers and is growing. It has a role similar to that of the National Guard in the U.S., supporting local communities and serving as the reserve base for other Polish forces.
Olga Krawcyzk-Majeran, the public affairs officer for the exercise, said the troops have enjoyed their time in the West Virginia hills.
"On the first of November, a group of over 100 Polish soldiers came to Elkins because we're having a military exercise," said Krawcyzk-Majeran.
"We had our soldiers stationed in the mountains and also visiting Elkins a lot, so many people asked us 'Who are you guys?'" said Krawcyzk-Majeran. "We're in Elkins because of the villages and the mountains that are here, because the training takes place in the mountains."
This isn't the Polish TDF's first time in West Virginia.
"We've been working with the West Virginia National Guard for over half a year now, it's our third time here." said Krawcyzk-Majeran.
So far, the troops have enjoyed the beauty of the mountains and the friendliness in the communities, she said.
"Every time we go up the mountains to visit or do some stuff, it's breathtaking, really. I got so excited I actually bought myself some Elkins stuff," Krawcyzk-Majeran said, even buying herself a primitive star to hang in her home in Warsaw.
"People here are very friendly, really. They connect with us … they want to know everything," said Krawcyzk-Majeran when discussing the differences between her home and Elkins. "We also have mountains and your mountains look pretty similar to ours, but I believe they're even more beautiful because of the landscape."
During their time here, the Polish TDF soldiers missed their national Independence Day. Conveniently, it also falls on Nov. 11 and they were able to celebrate with American soldiers on Veterans Day.
"We appreciated the American soldiers," said Krawcyzk-Majeran. "We had our own celebrations and they had their own and we were exchanging experiences and discussing the holidays that you guys have."
The Ridge Runner program focuses on training for irregular warfare.
According to the WV National Guard website, "Ridge Runner's mission is to develop and execute irregular warfare training across the state of West Virginia, contributing to the development of Special Operations Forces' and General Purpose Forces' irregular warfare understanding and capabilities."
This training is mainly to benefit the Department of Defense and other U.S. agencies, and allowing the Polish TDF to take part is an honor, officials said. The TDF is learning the National Guard's training and tactics in order to use them in Poland.
The vision for the Ridge Runner program is for the National Guard Bureau to adopt the training model, which can then be used in all the states.