Drawsko Training Ground

The Colonel Franciszek Sadowski Land Forces Training Centre in Drawsko (Polish: Centrum Szkolenia Wojsk Lądowych Drawsko im. płk. dypl. Franciszka Sadowskiego), commonly known as the Drawsko Training Ground (Polish: Poligon Drawski) is a training and proving ground located approximately 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) southwest of Drawsko Pomorskie, West Pomeranian Voivodeship. The training ground was called the Flugplatz Gabbert of the German Reichswehr.[2][3] Aside from being used by the Polish Army, it is also used by all member states of NATO.[4]

Colonel Franciszek Sadowski Land Forces Training Centre in Drawsko
Centrum Szkolenia Wojsk Lądowych Drawsko im. płk. dypl. Franciszka Sadowskiego
Armed forces training (buildings in the distance), 2013
CountryPoland
Allegiance Poland,  NATO
BranchPolish Land Forces
TypeTraining and proving ground
Size339.68 square kilometres (131.15 sq mi)
Garrison/HQOffice in Oleszno, West Pomeranian Voivodeship
Nickname(s)Poligon Drawski
PatronFranciszek Sadowski
Anniversaries29 May[1]
Websitecswldrawsko.wp.mil.pl
Commanders
Current
commander		See § Commanders
Insignia
Identification
symbol
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Drawsko Pomorskie Training Area.

History

The unit originated in Jelenino, a village near Szczecinek and was created on 2 February 1946 as the Command of the Artillery Proving Ground (Polish: Komenda Poligonu Artyleryjnego). The unit was moved on 12 January 1949 to Oleszno, where it currently lies. The base was then changed to both a proving and training ground. Eventually, the name of the ground changed to the 2nd District Artillery Training Ground (Polish: II Okręgowy Poligon Artylerii).

Many military events happened and happen in the area, most notably "Odra - Nysa 69", "Tarcza 76" and "Tarcza 88". In October 2000, the V Corps of the United States participated in a field exercise codenamed "VICTORY STRIKE". More than 2 thousand soldiers participated in the event.[5][6]

Settlements located in the area

The training ground's area itself is located in Drawsko County, on the border of Gmina Kalisz Pomorski and Gmina Drawsko Pomorskie. The settlements on the area are:

Commanders

The commanders of the area were and are:[7]

  • Maj. Ludomir Kościesza Wolski (1946–1950)[lower-alpha 1]
  • Lt. Col. Jan Sementz (1950–1962)
  • Brig. Gen. Leon Dubicki (March–September 1962)
  • Lt. Franciszek Raban (1962–1964)
  • Brig. Gen. Józef Kolasa (1964–1966)
  • Lt. Jan Bodylewicz (1966–1974)
  • Lt. Franciszek Sadowski (1974–1979)
  • Lt. Jan Matejuk (1988–1996)
  • Lt. Jan Krupa (1996–1998)
  • Lt. Robert Jabłoński (1998–2001)
  • Lt. Antoni Budkowski (2001–2004)
  • Lt. Michał Wałęza (2004–2010)
  • Lt. Marek Gmurski (2010–present)

Notes and references
  1. "Decyzja nr. 81/MON Ministra Obrony Narodowej z 5 marca 2011 r. w sprawie ustanowienia dorocznego święta Centrum Szkolenia Wojsk Lądowych Drawsko" [Decision No. 81/MON of the Minister of Defence of 5 March 2011 on establishing an annual holiday of the Land Forces Training Centre in Drawsko]. Act No. 81/MON of 15 March 2011 (in Polish). Ministry of National Defence.
  2. https://www.saatzig.de/gabbert.html
  3. Włodarczyk, Sławomir (2 February 2010). "Urodziny poligonu drawskiego". GS24. Głos Szczeciński. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  4. "Drawsko Pomorskie – największy poligon w Europie". GS24. Głos Szczeciński. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  5. Pike, John (2002). "Victory Strike". GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  6. "Poligon w Drawsku Pomorskim obchodzi 70-lecie". Dzieje.pl. 4 February 2016. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  7. "Tradycje". Centrum Szkolenia Wojsk Lądowych. Drawsko Training Ground. 16 January 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  1. Commanded the base in Jelenino from 1946 to 1949.

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