From MNF-I, 82nd SB enhances Polish capabilities.
LOGISTIC SUPPORT AREA ADDER — Polish soldiers and 82nd Sustainment Brigade troops stationed in Camp Echo, flew down to Logistic Support Area Adder recently in a former Soviet Mi-8 (HIP) helicopter to pick up tactical enhancement devices for Polish ground vehicles.
According to Maj. Richard A. Hall, 82nd Sustainment Brigade liaison officer, the Rhino I system is going to be installed on Polish M1114s or HMMWVs in order to provide an increased level of protection and freedom of movement as they conduct operations in the Al Quadisiyah province.
“These guys are pretty receptive, open minded and willing to try new ideas. I’m confident these Rhino systems will serve them well,” said Hall.
Operational security prohibits discussing the intricate details of how the Rhino systems work, however, the Polish troops seemed excited to receive and try out American ingenuity on their equipment.
“I’m a brand new graduate of the Polish flight school and what we learned about Iraq before deploying, is very different than our current experience here,” said Capt. Sylwester Kanadys, Polish Landing Forces pilot.
“Being deployed alongside the Americans has forced us to seriously look at and modify our tactics in order to keep up,” Kanadys added.
In an asymmetric environment like Iraq, where the front lines are primarily the highways, the enemy is constantly changing their attack methods. In order to counter and mitigate terrorist’s threats, U.S. forces are consistently upgrading their equipment with additional armor and various technologically based advancements.
“Since we work together with the U.S., (securing borders and patrolling streets) I feel it’s a good idea to put on our vehicles what they (U.S. troops) use “on” theirs. I’ve seen it work and I know it will be successful for us in future operations,“ said Kanadys.
The Polish contingent is assigned to Multi-National Division-Central South and was deployed to provide over watch assistance to Iraqi security forces in an effort to establish a safe and secure living environment.
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