Territorial Defence Force gets new officers
PR dla Zagranicy
Victoria Bieniek
10.11.2017 14:10
More than 100 soldiers were on Friday set to be promoted to the rank of officer and deployed to command platoons of Poland's Territorial Defence Force, which was set up earlier this year.
Photo: PAP/Maciej Kulczyński.
The new junior lieutenants, the second tranche of officers supplied to the Territorial Defence Force, completed year-long officer training, which they started as civilians.
The Territorial Defence Force, made up of volunteers, most of whom have no military training, aims to enhance and complement the capabilities of the regular military and promises to teach patriotism and commitment to local communities.
The period of service is planned for one to six years and may be extended. Soldiers receive a monthly allowance of PLN 500 (EUR 118) for an ordinary soldier, and PLN 600 for an officer, for service, improving their qualifications and readiness for immediate reporting for duty.
The defence ministry wants the Territorial Defence Force to be nearly 53,000 strong in 2019.
So far, three brigades have been set up.
It estimates that the cost of establishing and maintaining the forces in 2016-19 will be PLN 3.6 billion (EUR 834 million). (vb)
Source: niezalezna.pl