President Duda hands general-rank nominations to 13 officers
Polish President Andrzej Duda handed general-rank nominations to 13 officers during a ceremony at the Presidential Palace on the eve of Polish Army Day and the centenary of the 1920 Battle of Warsaw, in which Polish forces halted a Europe-advancing Red Army.
"Today's promotions to the rank of general are among the most symbolic in the history of the Polish Army, which continues the tradition of the winners of the Battle of Warsaw," the president said on Friday, having inaugurated this year's observances.
The ceremony was attended by Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak and Senate Speaker Tomasz Grodzki.
Referring to the centenary observances, the president underlined that this was a very important day, and repeated that 100 years ago, the winners of the Battle of Warsaw "had been in a very difficult situation; the winners, who despite doubts at home and abroad, had won when everything seemed lost. They won because they had courage, psychological strength, the strength of will and determination until the very last moment."
Speaking about the victory won by Poland in the Battle of Warsaw, the president praised the role played by Jozef Pilsudski, an inter-war leader and statesman, as well as, generals Tadeusz Rozwadowski, Jozef Haller and Wladyslaw Sikorski. "This was a magnificent armed deed of Polish officers and extreme courage by Polish Army soldiers," he said.
Addressing the newly-promoted officers, the president underlined that they were assuming responsibility for the highest-level command, and praised their experience, acquired in Poland and during foreign missions in Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan and other places worldwide.
Brigadier generals Piotr Malinowski, Dariusz Parylak and Ireneusz Starzynski have been promoted to the rank of major general.
Colonels Krzysztof Cur, Kazimierz Dynski, Bogdan Dziewulski, Jaroslaw Gorowski, Cezary Janowski, Rafał Kowalik, Krzysztof Nolbert, Rafal Ostrowski, Michal Rohde and Bogdan Rycerski have been promted to the rank of brigadier general.
