WARSAW, Poland -- Soldiers with P Troop, 4th Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment and the 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade marched in the Polish Armed Forces Day parade August 15, 2015 in Warsaw, Poland.
Armed Forces Day is an annual national holiday commemorating the 1920 victory over Soviet Russia at the Battle of Warsaw during the Polish-Soviet War. Marked by military parades and showcases, the holiday celebrates all branches of the Polish military and includes representatives from allied militaries, as well.
Amongst those in attendance at the parade were newly elected Polish President Andrzej Duda, U.S. Ambassador to Poland Stephen Mull, and deputy commanding generals from U.S. Army Europe and the 4th Infantry Division Mission Command Element, as well as the U.S. Soldiers marching in the parade.
"It's an honor to participate in the 95th anniversary of the holiday," said 1st Lt. Thomas Sheehan, a platoon leader with the 173rd Airborne Brigade. "Three guys in my platoon marched in the parade last year, and it's a great experience to represent the entire United States."
In preparation for the parade, the Soldiers, along with the Polish allies, rehearsed several times, including overnight. In addition to the many practices, the soldiers stood at parade rest for a full hour under the sweltering sun before it began.
Alongside the Polish military vehicles, Soldiers from P Troop drove three U.S. Stryker armored vehicles during the parade.
It was a humbling experience to see how the Polish accepted the U.S. Soldiers into their celebration, said Sheehan.
However, the parade not only celebrates the past, it celebrates a future of military cooperation as well.
"The NATO Alliance is such an incredibly important alliance and a very strong alliance, and Operation Atlantic Resolve is our demonstration to that alliance," said U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Bill Gayler, deputy commanding general of U.S. Army Europe. "We train together throughout Europe, especially in Poland, so it is only fitting that we participate in a celebration of the Polish Armed Forces Parade, and it was an incredibly well done parade, professionally done and filled with pride. It was our privilege and our honor to be a small part of it."
The Soldiers are in Poland as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve, an ongoing multinational partnership focused on combined training and security cooperation between NATO allies. Led by the mission command element of the 4th Infantry Division and in conjunction with European partner nations, Atlantic Resolve is intended to improve combined operational capability in a range of missions and ensure the continued peace and stability for a strong Europe.
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