On Wednesday, August 13, 2025, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, together with the leadership of the Ministry of National Defense, presented ministry medals and awards to soldiers and units of the Polish Armed Forces. Among the awardees were also athlete-soldiers from the Central Military Sports Team.
Photos: Senior Sergant Mariusz Bieniek/D2KP-DKL
“Today, in these days leading up to the wonderful celebrations of the Polish Armed Forces Day, I want to thank you, soldiers, for your steadfast, persistent, and selfless service. You are our heroes, you are the pride of Poland, you are our love. I believe that every Pole, man and woman alike, could sign their name under these words,” said Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.
“Anyone who carries our Homeland in their heart carries Poland. Without the Polish Armed Forces, throughout history, in the present, and in the great future, there is no Polish state. The history of our arms is one of remarkable victories, but also of hardship, suffering, and joy. All of this has been intertwined in our history, yet there have always been those who, with weapons in hand, with skills and abilities, defended the territory, borders, values, and statehood, defended the Polish home. For this defense of the Polish home, of Polish soil, I want to thank you very much today. (…) Today, we are one team working to ensure Poland’s security. One team whose name is Poland. Regardless of where we come from, regardless of our worldviews and opinions, the common denominator is the soldier of the Polish Armed Forces, the army, and its mission,” said the Minister of National Defense during the award and decoration ceremony.
“Thank you for every life saved, for every piece of assistance given, especially for the actions in September of last year, in Lower Silesia, in the Opole region, in places where it was necessary to protect against flooding. Your service at that time was priceless. (…) I am pleased with these distinctions for the best units, for the outstanding academies, for the special units. I am pleased with each of your awards, I signed each one with pride, every single one that I presented today, and those that will also be presented by our commanders in various places across Poland,” noted the Minister of National Defense.
During the ceremony, the Deputy Prime Minister honored soldiers, among other distinctions, by entering their merits into the Polish Armed Forces Book of Honor, awarding the Honorary Edged Weapon, the Honorary Dagger of the Polish Armed Forces, or the Special Badge for the Protection of the Border of the Republic of Poland. He also presented ministry medals: the Armed Forces in the Service of the Homeland and For Merits to National Defense.
“Without you, soldiers, there is no Minister of National Defense. You are our strength; you are the strength of Poland. I thank you very much for this, because you fulfill this mission in an extraordinary way,” the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized during the ceremony.
