An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | July 16, 2018

W. Va. Guard forges international relationships in Poland

By Sgt. Zoe Morris West Virginia National Guard

DRAWSKO POMORSKIE, Poland - More than 120 Soldiers with the West Virginia Army National Guard (WVARNG) 821st Horizontal Construction Company are taking part in Resolute Castle in Poland, a multinational joint training exercise for North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and U.S. Army engineers that supports Atlantic Resolve, a demonstration of the United States' commitment to the collective security of Europe.

Horizontal construction engineers and support staff from the 821st HCC are working in Poland constructing barracks and other facilities while serving alongside international allies in the region. The group departed in late June.

Resolute Castle allows Polish and U.S. Soldiers to build partner capacity by serving and working side-by-side with one another, as well as other NATO engineers, to build training capabilities in various areas of NATO’s eastern-member states. The training missions afforded to WVARNG Soldiers during this exercise enhance interoperability and forge creative solutions to common engineering problems.

WVARNG 1092nd Engineer Battalion Commander Lt. Col. Robert Kincaid Jr. said this is an excellent opportunity for Soldiers to partner with NATO allies while engaging in quality training at multiple levels, enhancing the overall readiness of the unit and the West Virginia National Guard as a whole.

The Resolute Castle exercise is in its fourth iteration and the 2018 exercise kicked off in May. During the exercise, various U.S. Army units will rotate through the training area to complete construction projects for future training operations in Poland.

Horizontal construction engineers use bulldozers, cranes, graders and other heavy equipment to move tons of earth and material to complete construction projects. They are also responsible for operating tractors with dozer attachments, scoop loaders, backhoe loaders, hydraulic excavators, motorized graders and scrapers.

This year's participants are from Poland, the U.K. and the U.S.

 

 

Related Articles
U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Hussein Mashal, an infantryman with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 178th Infantry Regiment, Illinois Army National Guard, listens to questions from troops about sniper training at a range near Toruń, Poland, June 7, 2025.
A Career of Service: Illinois Army Guard Soldier Reflects on Time in Active Component, Army Guard, and Army Reserve
By Staff Sgt. Amber Peck, | July 11, 2025
TORUŃ, Poland — Sgt. 1st Class Hussein Mashal, an Illinois Army National Guard Soldier with nearly two decades of service, has checked a lot of Army boxes – service in all three components – active, Reserve, National Guard –...

Brig. Gen. Leland D. Blanchard II, the Adjutant General (TAG) for the D.C. National Guard, recognizes members of the 113th Wing D.C. Air National Guard and members of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) during Cyber Shield 2025 at the Virginia National Guard's State Military Reservation in Virginia Beach, VA, on June 11, 2025. Cyber Shield, the longest and largest Department of Defense cyber exercise sharpens skills, tests tactics, and strengthens collaboration in computer network defense measures and protecting our nation's critical infrastructure from evolving cyber threats and cyber incident response.
District of Columbia Guard, Jamaican Defence Force Partner at Cyber Exercise
By Ayan Sheikh, | July 10, 2025
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Members of the District of Columbia Air National Guard’s 113th Communications Squadron joined more than 900 participants from across the U.S. military and allied nations for Cyber Shield 2025, a two-week...

Colorado Army National Guard Soldier Sgt. 1st Class Robert F. Cruz, 8th Civil Support Team, receives the Soldier’s Medal for Heroism from The Adjutant General of Colorado, Maj. Gen. Laura Clellan, during a ceremony at the Colorado Freedom Memorial in Aurora, Colorado, July 9, 2025. Cruz was awarded the medal after rescuing an unconscious driver from a burning vehicle without regard for his own safety. The Soldier's Medal is the highest U.S. Army award for acts of heroism in non-combat situations.
Colorado Soldier Receives the Soldier’s Medal for Heroism
By | July 10, 2025
CENTENNIAL, Colo. — U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Robert F. Cruz, 8th Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team, Colorado Army National Guard, was awarded the Soldier’s Medal for heroism July 9 in an official ceremony at the...