NATO exercise puts Polish commandos to the test - 12.09.2014 - A glimpse behind the scenes of “Noble Sword-14,” a NATO special operations exercise with the participation of Polish and other NATO special forces soldiers. (Photo top: Polish Special Forces with military top brass, including Lt. Gen. Marshall Webb, Commander of NATO Special Operations Forces HQ, as well as Maj. Gen. Piotr Patalong, Inspector of Special Forces and Col. Wiesław Kukuła, Commander Commando Special Forces Group. Also in attendance, Deputy Defense Minister Maciej Jankowski.) For more than three weeks in September, some 1,700 soldiers from 14 NATO countries are taking part in “Noble Sword-14,” a series of special operations exercises as part of the Alliance’s Article 5, which guarantees mutual security and is often cited as the “all-for-one, one-for-all” clause. (Photo bottom left: A Polish commando signals officer at the military training area in Drawsko Pomorskie.) The exercise is a certification for NATO’s Special Operations Component before Poland takes over as the Alliance’s framework nation in 2015. Our reporter John Beauchamp went to Drawsko Pomorskie, where the main core of the exercises are taking place over the course of September. “In light of the situation we are very pleased […] I have been following the progress of Polish SOC [Special Operations Component] for quite some time now,” Lt. Gen. Marshall Webb, Commander of NATO Special Operations Forces HQ, told us. “We look forward to [Poland] serving as the framework nation in the next coming year for NATO,” he added. During one part of the military exercise, we meet a Polish Special Forces captain and signals officer. For security reasons, he gave no name, but tells us about the mission. “Noble Sword-14” is the largest special forces exercise of the Alliance this year, and lasts until 21 September. (Photo bottom right: An F-16 provides support during the NATO Noble Sword-14 exercises in Drawsko Pomorskie, 09.09.2014.)
Posted on: Fri, 12 Sep 2014 10:48:20 +0000
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