Poland’s Armed Forces Day will be marked in Illinois as a day celebrating a strategic partnership with Poland, the US state’s governor said in Warsaw on Monday after a quarter-century of military cooperation.

Bruce Rauner and Mariusz Błaszczak with a copy of the proclamation that led to National Guard-Polish Armed Forces cooperation. Photo: PAP/Paweł Supernak

Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner and US Ambassador to Poland Paul Jones met Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak to mark the 25th year since Poland’s army signed a deal with Illinois’ National Guard.

Błaszczak noted that Poland and the US had a long, shared military history.

Polish soldiers fought in the 1775–1783 American War of Independence and US pilots took part in the 1919-1921 Polish-Soviet war.

The defence minister also noted that Poland has been a member of NATO for 19 years.

The 1993 deal between the Illinois National Guard and the Polish Armed Forces has seen US soldiers aid the modernisation of Poland’s Air Force and help deal with challenges facing veterans injured while on mission.

Recently, the partnership has also seen US soldiers help commanders of Poland’s new Territorial Defence Force.

Poland celebrates Armed Forces Day on August 15. (vb)

Source: IAR