ILLINOIS — Soldiers from the Illinois Army National Guard recently completed an intensive two-week joint training mission in Toruń, Poland, reinforcing the state’s long-standing military partnership with the Polish Territorial Defence Force.
The exchange was part of the Department of Defense’s State Partnership Program, which has paired Illinois and Poland since 1993. This year’s training brought together members of the 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team and Polish forces to focus on key tactical areas: sniper operations, medical response, Javelin missile systems, and remote observation strategies.
Combat Lessons Learned from the Ukrainian Battlefield
One of the top priorities of the training was improving sniper unit survivability in modern combat. Illinois trainers shared methods adapted from recent battlefield conditions, including threats posed by drones and thermal imaging. Sgt. 1st Class Hussein Mashal emphasized the importance of merging U.S. and Polish tactics to enhance effectiveness under new conditions influenced by the war in Ukraine.
“By merging our techniques with theirs… we hope to strengthen their sniper employment capabilities and survivability,” Mashal said.
Life-Saving Medical Skills Shared Across Borders
The Charlie Company, 634th Brigade Support Battalion of Illinois led critical training on casualty care—from point of injury to final treatment. Polish 2nd Lt. Jakub Piotrowski appreciated the shared knowledge, noting that both armies use different approaches to accomplish the same goals.
“It’s worthwhile to see how a different army is doing the same thing and then be able to cooperate with it,” Piotrowski said.
Advanced Weapons & Coordination with Tech
Training also covered advanced use of the Javelin anti-tank missile system, where Illinois soldiers provided instruction that quickly moved from basic operation to strategic deployment thanks to the Polish troops’ prior knowledge.
Staff Sgt. Nicholas Broden praised the enthusiasm of the Polish soldiers, calling them “very hands-on with the equipment” and “extremely motivated.”
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Strengthening Forward Observation and Artillery Skills
Forward observer teams from Illinois focused on basic fire coordination techniques and joint fires observer skills. U.S. Army Master Sgt. William Aitken described it as an “abbreviated observer program” aimed at helping Poland build stronger artillery units.
Cutting-edge techniques like drone observation and electronic signature concealment were also introduced. The joint forces practiced setting up hidden observation posts and coordinating surveillance feeds with command units—again, based on tactical shifts observed in Ukraine.
A 30-Year Partnership That Keeps Growing
Brig. Gen. Lenny Williams, assistant adjutant general for the Illinois National Guard, emphasized the long-standing cooperation between Illinois and Poland.
“Our partnership… is the gold standard of deployments,” Williams said in the official news release from DVIDS. “We learn, we teach, and we develop new tactics and techniques together.”
With over three decades of shared operations, including deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq, Illinois continues to lead in both international cooperation and military readiness.
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