Drawsko Training Ground
| Colonel Franciszek Sadowski Land Forces Training Centre in Drawsko | |
|---|---|
| Centrum Szkolenia Wojsk Lądowych Drawsko im. płk. dypl. Franciszka Sadowskiego | |
.jpg) Armed forces training (buildings in the distance), 2013 | |
| Country | Poland |
| Allegiance |  Poland,  NATO |
| Branch | Polish Land Forces |
| Type | Training and proving ground |
| Size | 339.68 square kilometres (131.15 sq mi) |
| Garrison/HQ | Office in Oleszno, West Pomeranian Voivodeship |
| Nickname(s) | Poligon Drawski |
| Patron | Franciszek Sadowski |
| Anniversaries | 29 May[1] |
| Website | cswldrawsko.wp.mil.pl |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | See § Commanders |
| Insignia | |
| Identification symbol |  |
The Colonel Franciszek Sadowski Land Forces Training Centre in Drawsko (Polish: Centrum Szkolenia Wojsk Lądowych Drawsko im. płk. dypl. Franciszka Sadowskiego), commonly known as the Drawsko Training Ground (Polish: Poligon Drawski) is a training and proving ground located approximately 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) southwest of Drawsko Pomorskie, West Pomeranian Voivodeship. The training ground was called the Flugplatz Gabbert of the German Reichswehr.[2][3] Aside from being used by the Polish Army, it is also used by all member states of NATO.[4]
History
[edit]The unit originated in Jelenino, a village near Szczecinek and was created on 2 February 1946 as the Command of the Artillery Proving Ground (Polish: Komenda Poligonu Artyleryjnego). The unit was moved on 12 January 1949 to Oleszno, where it currently lies. The base was then changed to both a proving and training ground. Eventually, the name of the ground changed to the 2nd District Artillery Training Ground (Polish: II Okręgowy Poligon Artylerii).
Many military events happened and happen in the area, most notably "Odra - Nysa 69", "Tarcza 76" and "Tarcza 88". In October 2000, the V Corps of the United States participated in a field exercise codenamed "VICTORY STRIKE". More than 2 thousand soldiers participated in the event.[5][6]
Settlements located in the area
[edit]The training ground's area itself is located in Drawsko County, on the border of Gmina Kalisz Pomorski and Gmina Drawsko Pomorskie. The settlements on the area are:
Commanders
[edit]The commanders of the area were and are:[7]
- Maj. Ludomir Kościesza Wolski (1946–1950)[a]
- Lt. Col. Jan Sementz (1950–1962)
- Brig. Gen. Leon Dubicki (March–September 1962)
- Lt. Franciszek Raban (1962–1964)
- Brig. Gen. Józef Kolasa (1964–1966)
- Lt. Jan Bodylewicz (1966–1974)
- Lt. Franciszek Sadowski (1974–1979)
- Lt. Jan Matejuk (1988–1996)
- Lt. Jan Krupa (1996–1998)
- Lt. Robert Jabłoński (1998–2001)
- Lt. Antoni Budkowski (2001–2004)
- Lt. Michał Wałęza (2004–2010)
- COL (Colonel) Marek Gmurski (2010– Jan 2022)
- COL Andrzej Negmanski (Jan 2022–present)
Notes and references
[edit]- ^ Decyzja nr. 81/MON Ministra Obrony Narodowej z 5 marca 2011 r. w sprawie ustanowienia dorocznego święta Centrum Szkolenia Wojsk Lądowych Drawsko [Decision No. 81/MON of the Minister of Defence of 5 March 2011 on establishing an annual holiday of the Land Forces Training Centre in Drawsko] (81/MON) (in Polish). Ministry of National Defence. 15 March 2011.
- ^ https://www.saatzig.de/gabbert.html
- ^ Włodarczyk, Sławomir (2 February 2010). "Urodziny poligonu drawskiego". GS24. Głos Szczeciński. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
- ^ "Drawsko Pomorskie – największy poligon w Europie". GS24. Głos Szczeciński. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
- ^ Pike, John (2002). "Victory Strike". GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
- ^ "Poligon w Drawsku Pomorskim obchodzi 70-lecie". Dzieje.pl. 4 February 2016. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
- ^ "Tradycje". Centrum Szkolenia Wojsk Lądowych. Drawsko Training Ground. 16 January 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
- ^ https://www.piemags.com/military/left-col-marek-gmurski-outgoing-commander-28323795.html
- ^ Commanded the base in Jelenino from 1946 to 1949.