Photo By Sgt. Brandon Anderson | A proud father holds his daughter for a photograph after meeting with U.S. Soldiers of...... read more read more
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WARSAW, Poland - Thousands of people gathered here at the National Football Stadium in Warsaw, Poland, to meet with Polish soldiers and their American allies from P Troop, 4th Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment during Polish Armed Forces Day, Aug. 15.
Small children smiled as they tried on heavy protective equipment, and explored the inner workings of the U.S. Army’s Stryker Reconnaissance vehicle. They and their parents posed for photo after photo with the Troopers, and as one group departed for one of the many other military vehicles, another crowd would arrive.
One such attendee, a local high school student named Tony, came to the event decked out in a U.S Army uniform dating from Operation Desert Shield. When asked about the uniform, he said he was part of a group that re-enacts United States military battles.
“I'm a re-enactor, I re-enact Desert Storm and the Vietnam War,” said Tony. “I love your Army guys, because they're incredibly kind.”
For U.S. Army 1st Lt. Joshua Gonzalez, a platoon leader for P Troop, the smiling faces and interaction with the local people was very rewarding.
“The smile on these kids' faces is the reason why we come out here and do what we do,” said Gonzalez. “We've had quite a few Polish civilians and military members come ask about us and our equipment, and the overall atmosphere has been great.”
One such Soldier giving tours of the Stryker and the equipment, U.S. Army Spc. Clarence Hill, said his experience has been a good one.
“It's fun seeing everyone come out and learn about our weapons and vehicle,” said Hill. “To me, it seems like the people are liking this a lot. They like seeing the different vehicles and how our armies work together.”
For the Soldiers, this experience highlights their already memorable visit to Poland's capital, as they went to the Warsaw Uprising Museum upon their arrival to the city.
“I've definitely enjoyed my time here,” said Hill. “I would come back, because the people seem to like us.”
With the museum visit still fresh in his mind, Hill said he was greatly impressed by the fighting spirit of the Polish people during World War II.
“Seeing the uprising museum showed how the Polish people fought back, and showed how they have power too,” Hill said.
His platoon leader Gonzalez, said he was glad his troopers were able to participate during this event.
“This whole experience has been really good for me and my platoon,” said Gonzalez. “We're grateful that we had the opportunity to join with [the Polish] and their military during this event.”
The Soldiers of P Troop are here as part of Atlantic Resolve, an ongoing multinational partnership focused on combined training and security cooperation between NATO allies. Led by the 4th Infantry Division Mission Command Element and in conjunction with European partner nations, Atlantic Resolve is intended to improve combined operational capacity in a range of missions and ensure continued peace and stability across Europe.
| Date Taken: | 08.14.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 08.15.2015 17:23 |
| Story ID: | 173314 |
| Location: | WARSZAWA, PL |
| Web Views: | 251 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Celebrating allies: US Army invited to Polish Armed Forces Day, by SGT Brandon Anderson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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