On August 5, 2007 at 15:00 sharp, a group of 123 soldiers arrived at the Goleniow Airport. This completes a 6-month mission of Multinational Corps Northeast in Afghanistan.
The process of redeployment started in the middle of last week when the soldiers headed for Kabul International Airport just making one step closer to Poland. Then the soldiers spent a while in Termez, Uzbekistan, where in extreme heat they had to wait until their plane – Airbus A310 Luftwaffe – fetched them home.
Well done!
At the airport a welcome parade was organized in order to celebrate this special moment. Commander HQ MNC NE LtGen Zdzislaw Goral welcomed the officers and non-commisioned officers. In his speech he expressed his gratitude for the soldiers’ hard work and sacrifice. He highlighted the role of MNC NE in the mission and significant tasks performed in ISAF X. Four of MNC NE officers were awarded the Corps Medal for their outstanding service during the mission. Among honourable guests that took part in this ceremony three was also LtGen Mieczyslaw Stachowiak, Deputy Chief of Polish General Staff, MajGen Andrzej Malinowski, Commander 12th Mechanized Division and BrigGen Henryk Skarzynski, Chief Training Land Force Command and at the same time former Chief of Staff MNC NE. The Polish state was represented by Mr. Jacek Kotas, Undersecretary of State from Ministry of Defence. There were also Honorary Consul of Denmark and representatives from Szczecin authorities, Police, Fire Department as well as other honourable guests.
Families united
Throughout the ceremony on the observation deck the soldiers’ families waited for the moment of meeting. In the meantime they attempted to recognize familiar faces of husbands and fathers when they were standing in platoon formation. Some of them waited with flowers, other with banners or simply red hearts attached to their clothes with the name. When the official ceremony ended, the soldiers could finally unite with their families. With the wives and children on their side, the soldiers grabbed their luggage and after dealing with all necessary matters, they could go on well-deserved leaves.
