Senior non-commissioned officers from the NATO alliance’s eastern flank countries met in Bialystok to tighten their cooperation and exchange experiences. Most participants were representatives of territorial defense formations. Officers command, but NCOs are the ones who run the army, said Christopher A. Prosser, the 2nd highest Non-Commissioned Officer of the V Corps, US Army.
Senior non-commissioned officers from the NATO alliance’s eastern flank countries met in Bialystok to tighten their cooperation and exchange experiences
Participants of the meeting included SNCOs from Poland, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Romania, the United States and the United Kingdom. On a daily basis, they serve in the 1st, 4th, 5th and 12th TDF Brigades, territorial defense formations from Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia, NATO eFP BG Poland and the V Corps of the US Army.
The idea for this year’s formula was born after the experience gathered during the meeting we held last year.
This year we decided to expand the number of participants and invited senior non-commissioned officers from Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia, as well as the V Corps of the US Army. – said CSM Grzegorz Bączek from 1TDF Brigade.
The key aspect of cooperation is its interpersonal dimension, which makes the case that together we are not only stronger [“stronger together” is the NATO slogan], but we are truly together. – added CSM Thomas Dalton from NATO eFP BG Poland, US Army National Guard soldier.
CSM Christopher A. Prosser added: I believe, that the most important part of the meeting was that just yesterday we did not know each other and today we are brothers. NCOs are the trainers of Soldiers and are a key element of multinational Interoperability. They also take care of the soldiers and maintain the discipline required to be an effective ally and fighting force.
Col. Sławomir Kocanowski, commander of the 1st TDF Brigade, met with the participants and discussed the significance of international cooperation in increasing the number of allies and the crucial role of senior non-commissioned officers in this particular domain.
During their stay in Bialystok, the NCOs visited the Sybir Memorial Museum.
This was the second edition of the international meeting of senior NCOs. The first one was held in September last year.
Photos: Territorial Defence Force
Press release