KIELCE, Poland - The phrase "train as we fight" is applicable
across the Army and around the world, and it was the standard during the
recent training exercise here at Bukowka Barracks March 4-10.
Bagram VII is a joint training exercise, which included members of the 21st
Theater Sustainment Command's 18th Engineer Brigade, the Joint Forces
Headquarters of the Illinois National Guard, the Polish 2nd Mechanized Corps
and the Joint Multi-National Simulations Center Grafenwoehr.
These agencies worked together to prepare and certify the 1st Polish Armored
Brigade and Soldiers from the Illinois National Guard for their upcoming
deployment to Afghanistan.
During the opening ceremony, Polish army Maj. Gen. Zbigniew Glowienka, the
exercise director and commander of the Polish 2nd Mech. Corps, said the
exercise's aim was to ensure that the Task Force White Eagle's headquarters
is prepared for International Security Assistance Force operations in
Afghanistan.
During the exercise, the unit will be tested for combat for the first time
using Joint Conflict and Tactical Simulations, Glowienka added.
Bagram VII was the seventh readiness exercise to certify the Polish task
force is ready for its six-month rotation to Afghanistan. However, there were
a lot of firsts during the exercise.
Some of these firsts included the use of simulation platforms provided by the
Joint Multi-National Simulations Center Grafenwoehr, the use of the 18th
Engineering Brigade as the higher headquarters and the embedding of Soldiers
from the Illinois National Guard, who will deploy with the 1st Polish Armored
Brigade to Afghanistan.
The Joint Multi-National Simulations Center Grafenwoehr assisted the exercise
by providing all the simulation systems free of charge, including JCATS, Blue
Force Tracker, Command Post of the Future and Unmanned Aerial Simulation
Systems. These simulation systems provided the task force with the ability to
respond to numerous scenarios, which better tested the task force's tactical
operations procedures.
When Polish army Lt. Col. Piotr Fajkowski, B Battle Group commander, 1st
Polish Armored Brigade, was asked what the hardest part of Bagram VII was, he
said, "to learn the systems and to compare what information it provided. But
it was nice to learn the systems we will use in theater step-by-step before
our deployment."
The 18th Engineering Brigade, with members of the Illinois National Guard and
the Polish 2nd Mech. Corps, made the exercise even more realistic by
role-playing Combined Joint Task Force-East, the unit the task force will
report to in Afghanistan.
During the exercise, the 18th monitored how Task Force White Eagle responded
to the scenarios, from tactical operations to responding to the civilian
populous and the local media.
"Our mission is twofold: to ensure Task Force White Eagle receives the most
realistic training possible and to build a positive relationship with our
Polish allies," said Col. Paul M. Paolozzi, the 18th brigade commander.
This was accomplished by selecting subject matter experts from the brigade in
areas such as operations, logistics, intelligence, signal, interpreters and
public affairs, resulting in relevant training and a new lasting relationship
with the 2nd Mechanized Corps and Task Force White Eagle.
"We are one team, not Polish or American Soldiers," said Polish army Maj.
Stanislaw Koppczynski, the chief of the Tactical Operation Center for Polish
Land Forces.
This exercise and the upcoming deployment is the first time in the 17-year
relationship between the Illinois National Guard and the Polish army where
National Guard Soldiers will embed with Task Force White Eagle during its
six-month rotation.
"Partnering with the Polish army is a vital part of our mission success and
being allowed to train prior to deployment together will allow us to be
mission effective once we reach Afghanistan," said Cpt. Tim Newman, the
battle captain for Task Force White Eagle, from Plainfield, Ill.