FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks at Medal Ceremony at Lask Military Airbase
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Lask Military Airbase
Lask, Poland
November 5, 2013
Well, thank you very much, Mr. Minister of Defense. It is an honor for me to be able to be here. It's an honor to be here at the Lask Airbase, one of the most visible and powerful symbols of the enduring alliance between our nations. I have to tell you that it's particularly exciting for us to see these F-16s in back of me. I am a pilot, though I wasn't an F-16 pilot. But it's pretty tempting, and I can tell you that for a member of my traveling team, Colonel Scott Thompson, United States Air Force, is our own top gun traveling with us, a former F-16 Air Force pilot. And I know he'd love to get out of his uniform and go up now and hit the afterburner.
I'm very proud to share with you that the military partnership that we are living here today and that we are building on here today began only a stone's throw away from my home town of Boston. It was in a famous seaport just to the north of Boston called Marblehead, where Casimir Pulaski, the father of the American Cavalry, arrived from Poland more than 230 years ago. And he wrote to General George Washington, "I came here where freedom is being defended to serve it and live and die for it." Here at last, we actually are continuing the work and the partnership that Pulaski began not just in the defense of freedom, but in our work together to defend and promote freedom and prosperity from so many people across the world.
I will have the honor of awarding a Meritorious Service Medal in a few moments to a soldier who embodies this commitment, Lieutenant Colonel Bagan. As the commanding officer of a Polish special operations task group in Afghanistan, he served with great valor. His bravery is a testament to the courage and the character of the Polish people, and it is a perfect example of why the United States is proud to call you among our closest friends.
Of course, Lieutenant Colonel Bagan is not alone is his incredible service and sacrifice. For more than a decade, thousands of Polish men and women stood shoulder to shoulder with American forces in Afghanistan and with our NATO allies and partners. At this airbase, we see clearly that we are not resting on the strength of our alliance; we are investing in it. The American airmen here are the first in our history to be stationed full-time on Polish soil. As they train alongside their Polish partners, they complete some of the most realistic combat simulation, and they use some of the most modern aircraft in Europe. Even as we speak, U.S. and Polish forces are taking part in Steadfast Jazz, a military exercise that will train and test the NATO Response Force.
In the years to come, our ability to respond rapidly to a changing world and to changing threats will be measured by more than just one test. That is why Poland’s $45 billion investment in modernizing its defense forces is so vital to our partnership and the future of the NATO alliance. With this investment, Poland is showing its steadfast commitment to peace and to the security, and it sending a powerful message to all NATO members. Poland is showing that our shared security and shared prosperity requires sharing responsibility for the future.
And I want you to know that the United States is fully ready to help Poland meet that responsibility, as the Defense Minister can readily attest. We believe deeply in the quality of the equipment that is behind me, the F-16s, and in other equipment that we produce. And we are prepared to make that equipment available to Poland as it makes its choices about the future and the continued interoperability demands of NATO.
So I want to thank the Defense Minister for his hospitality here today. This was an opportunity for us to meet and to talk about our goals. But it’s also an opportunity for us to underscore the importance of this relationship. In the men and women who serve together here at Lask, we see the ties that bind our two nations together and make us stronger. As we make good on our historic commitment to peace and to prosperity, we look forward to closer cooperation and we look forward to greater partnership in the years to come. We thank our friends in Poland for their steadfast efforts with the United States
Showing posts with label POLAND. Show all posts
Showing posts with label POLAND. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Thursday, July 25, 2013
GEN. DEMPSEY THANKS POLES FOR CONTRIBUTIONS DURING AFGHAN CONFLICT
FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Dempsey Thanks Poles for Afghan Help, Urges Continued Support
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
WARSAW, Poland, July 24, 2013 - Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey today thanked the Polish Armed Forces for their friendship and support in Afghanistan and said he hopes the Polish military will continue its work in the country after 2014 as part of Operation Resolute Support.
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff met with Army Lt. Gen. Mieczyslaw Gocul, the chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, at the Office of the Polish General Staff here this morning.
"I would like the people of Poland to hear from me personally that the contributions of the Polish Armed Forces to our international mission in Afghanistan have been significant, have been courageous and have been successful," Dempsey said during a short news conference following the meeting.
The chairman arrived here yesterday after three days in Afghanistan, where he met with Polish service members who serve alongside American troops in Ghazni province and in the Afghan capital of Kabul.
The chairman noted that many critics believe the International Security Assistance Force cannot succeed. "I'm not one of them," he added. "I personally believe from observation of my own soldiers and yours that we can and will succeed in Afghanistan and give the Afghan people a chance for a better life and make the region, and ultimately the world, a more secure place."
Gocul thanked Dempsey for his visit and spoke of the deep friendship between the militaries of the two countries. The chief of the General Staff said the two men discussed the state of the Polish Armed Forces and efforts Poland has made to transform the forces and organization.
The two men also discussed mutual challenges, including budgetary problems and the professionalization of the military.
During the news conference, Gocul said the Polish military has asked for U.S. help in withdrawing forces from Afghanistan. Dempsey said the U.S. military has a group in Afghanistan working these redeployment issues.
"We can provide as much assistance for those coming out as we did for those forces moving in," the chairman said.
"What I would add that it is clear that we will have some enduring interests in Afghanistan and in development of their security forces beyond 2014," Dempsey said. "So, hopefully, I won't have to be helping with the withdrawal of all of the equipment, because I would like to think that we will have a continued coalition of partners to help the Afghans beyond '14."
Gocul noted that the Polish government has not yet decided on the Polish military participation in the post-2014 Resolute Support operation, but that the military is preparing options for the prime minister and president.
Gocul was pressed on the possible size of a Polish contingent. "I don't have a crystal ball, so I wouldn't like to speculate," he said through a translator. "It will be a size to do the tasks and accomplish the mission."
In planning, NATO is looking at a post-2014 presence in Afghanistan between 8,000 and 12,000 troops, which Dempsey said he believes is about right. Each country in the coalition will make its own determination on how many troops it will contribute.
"I personally believe that the continued presence of the Polish Armed Forces would be a great benefit to the coalition and the Afghans, because Polish soldiers are a great example -- as are Americans -- to what a professional military can and should become," Dempsey said.
"I would hope that among that number of 8,000 to 12,000, there would be as many Polish men and women as possible," he added.
Dempsey Thanks Poles for Afghan Help, Urges Continued Support
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
WARSAW, Poland, July 24, 2013 - Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey today thanked the Polish Armed Forces for their friendship and support in Afghanistan and said he hopes the Polish military will continue its work in the country after 2014 as part of Operation Resolute Support.
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff met with Army Lt. Gen. Mieczyslaw Gocul, the chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, at the Office of the Polish General Staff here this morning.
"I would like the people of Poland to hear from me personally that the contributions of the Polish Armed Forces to our international mission in Afghanistan have been significant, have been courageous and have been successful," Dempsey said during a short news conference following the meeting.
The chairman arrived here yesterday after three days in Afghanistan, where he met with Polish service members who serve alongside American troops in Ghazni province and in the Afghan capital of Kabul.
The chairman noted that many critics believe the International Security Assistance Force cannot succeed. "I'm not one of them," he added. "I personally believe from observation of my own soldiers and yours that we can and will succeed in Afghanistan and give the Afghan people a chance for a better life and make the region, and ultimately the world, a more secure place."
Gocul thanked Dempsey for his visit and spoke of the deep friendship between the militaries of the two countries. The chief of the General Staff said the two men discussed the state of the Polish Armed Forces and efforts Poland has made to transform the forces and organization.
The two men also discussed mutual challenges, including budgetary problems and the professionalization of the military.
During the news conference, Gocul said the Polish military has asked for U.S. help in withdrawing forces from Afghanistan. Dempsey said the U.S. military has a group in Afghanistan working these redeployment issues.
"We can provide as much assistance for those coming out as we did for those forces moving in," the chairman said.
"What I would add that it is clear that we will have some enduring interests in Afghanistan and in development of their security forces beyond 2014," Dempsey said. "So, hopefully, I won't have to be helping with the withdrawal of all of the equipment, because I would like to think that we will have a continued coalition of partners to help the Afghans beyond '14."
Gocul noted that the Polish government has not yet decided on the Polish military participation in the post-2014 Resolute Support operation, but that the military is preparing options for the prime minister and president.
Gocul was pressed on the possible size of a Polish contingent. "I don't have a crystal ball, so I wouldn't like to speculate," he said through a translator. "It will be a size to do the tasks and accomplish the mission."
In planning, NATO is looking at a post-2014 presence in Afghanistan between 8,000 and 12,000 troops, which Dempsey said he believes is about right. Each country in the coalition will make its own determination on how many troops it will contribute.
"I personally believe that the continued presence of the Polish Armed Forces would be a great benefit to the coalition and the Afghans, because Polish soldiers are a great example -- as are Americans -- to what a professional military can and should become," Dempsey said.
"I would hope that among that number of 8,000 to 12,000, there would be as many Polish men and women as possible," he added.
Monday, July 9, 2012
SPECIAL U.S. ENVOY TO COMBAT ANTISEMITISM VISITS GERMANY AND POLAND
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Special Envoy to Combat Anti-Semitism Rosenthal Visits Germany and Poland
Media Note Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC
July 6, 2012
Special Envoy to Combat and Monitor Anti-Semitism Hannah Rosenthal will travel to Germany and Poland July 9-15. In Germany, she will participate in the non-governmental organization Centropa’s Summer Academy in Mannheim and Berlin. Summer Academy is an international traveling workshop for educators from 13 countries, which prepares them to teach and engage students with 20th century Jewish history and the Holocaust.
Special Envoy Rosenthal’s late father, a Holocaust survivor, was a rabbi in Mannheim before the war and will be honored by the City of Mannheim in a special event on July 9. In Berlin, Special Envoy Rosenthal will meet with and engage government officials, religious leaders, interfaith youth, and members of civil society.
In Poland, July 13-15, the Special Envoy will visit the home of her father’s family in Bytom. In Krakow, she will meet with Jewish community leaders, various foundations including a meeting with the representatives of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation, as well as the Forum for Dialogue Among Nations. She will learn about the Jewish community in Poland today and civil society engagement on Jewish history and culture.
For more information about Special Envoy Hannah Rosenthal’s work, please visit www.facebook.com/SERosenthal and follow her on Twitter @HannahAtState
For more information about the 2012 Hours Against Hate campaign please visit www.facebook.com/2012hoursagainsthate.
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