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| Army Commandos | |
|---|---|
| Jednostka Wojskowa Komandosów | |
.svg) Shoulder sleeve insignia as of 2014 | |
| Active | 1961 – present |
| Country |  Poland |
| Branch | Special Troops Command |
| Type | Special Forces |
| Role | Special Operations |
| Garrison/HQ | Lubliniec |
| Nickname | JWK |
| Mottos | Cisi i skuteczni [or Latin translationSecreti ac Efficaces] (Silent and Effective) |
| Colors | Red, Black |
| Engagements | Kosovo Conflict Iraq War War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) |
| Website | https://jwk.wp.mil.pl |
| Commanders | |
| Commander | płk Michał Strzelecki |
| Insignia | |
| Distinctive unit insignia (since 2020) | .jpg) |
| Special COMMANDO shoulder sleeve insignia | _mund-w.png) |
TheJednostka Wojskowa Komandosów, commonly calledJWK and formerly known as1 Pułk Specjalny Komandosów (1 PSK), is one of sixspecial forces units currently operating withinPoland'sCentrum Operacji Specjalnych - Dowództwo Komponentu Wojsk Specjalnych (COS - DKWS, en.Special Operations Center - Special Forces Component Command). JWK (although under different name and with different structure) was formed in 1961 and is the oldest still active Polish special operations unit. The unit is located inLubliniec,Poland.
The regiment has carried out the majority of special operations that have resulted in the gathering of actual Polish Intelligence. In the early years of theglobal war on terrorism, The regiment carried outspecial operations alongsideUS Navy SEALs from theNaval Special Warfare Development Group also known asSEAL Team Six.
Thanks to the unit's high recruitment standards, and a special training program the Regiment implemented several years ago, the unit's soldiers display a very high level of skills and professionalism and are trained to undertake a wide range of special missions duringwar,crisis andpeace time.[1]
Unit performs the following tasks:
Along with being trained and competent inurban warfare,underwater warfare andmountain warfare, JWK personnel are able to carry out operations by land, air (includingHALO and HAHO operations) or sea. In addition, JWK also possessesJTAC-qualified personnel.
It is worth noting that out of the 1800 worldwide, in JWK currently serve the only Polish soldiers who have ever graduated from the grueling U.S.Special OperationsCombat Medic Course (SOCM) at theU.S. ArmyJohn F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School atFort Bragg, North Carolina.[2]
The unit was established in 1961 as a part of6th Pomeranian Airborne Division inKraków, under the name26 Batalion Dywersyjno – Rozpoznawczy (en.26th Sabotage-Reconnaissance Battalion). In 1964 26th S-RB was detached from 6th Airborne Division and relocated toDziwnów onWolin Island (Baltic Sea). It was restructured and named1 Samodzielny Batalion Szturmowy (en.1st Detached Assault Battalion).
On October 8, 1993, following an executive order from theChief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, the unit was relocated to Lubliniec and transitioned from abattalion to aregiment, which led to its renaming to1 Pułk Specjalny (en.1st Special Regiment) before being changed to1 Pułk Specjalny Komandosów (en.1st Special Commando Regiment) in 1995. Even though the unit's name did not receive its "Commando" (Komandosów) moniker until 1995, it officially became aSpecial Operations Forces unit of thePolish Armed Forces following the 1993 executive order; making at the time 1 Pułk Specjalny the only unit subordinated to the command of theLand Forces branch of the Polish Army while at the same time operating as a Special Forces unit.
After twelve years under the command of the Polish Land Forces, the unit transitioned to thePolish Special Forces Command (pl.Dowództwo Wojsk Specjalnych) along with all other Polish Special Forces units when it was formed in 2007.
Finally in 2011 (October 1) for its 50th anniversary, the unit was renamedJednostka Wojskowa Komandosów which at present is its current name. Within Poland's Armed Forces organization, the unit is referred to by its code number JW4101.
JWK is currently operating under the command ofpłk (Col.) Wiesław Kukuła.[3] The unit operates with a combat structure similar to theUS Army Special Forces and the Australian2nd Commando Regiment and is composed of foursquadrons with a fourth set up by 2016; respectively ZB A, ZB B, ZB C and ZB D.
Each of these teams carry the traditions of Polish units fromWorld War II.[4] ZB A inherits its traditions from Polski Samodzielny Batalion Specjalny and Batalion Miotła,[5] ZB B inherits theirs from the No. 6 Troop (Polish) of theNo. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando and ZB C inherits theirs fromBatalion Parasol. It should also be noted that theheadquarters detachment of the military unit also preserves traditions from World War II, which are those ofBatalion Zośka from thePolish Home Army resistance movement.
Current Structure:
All three combat detachments as well as the HQ & Logistics Detachment have their own insignias, all carrying on Poland's legacy fromWorld War II.
Along with all other Wojska Specjalne units, JWK is currently subordinated to theCentrum Operacji Specjalnych - Dowództwo Komponentu Wojsk Specjalnych (COS-DKWS, en.Special Operations Center - Special Forces Component Command); which itself is subordinated to the Armed Forces Branches Operational Command (Pol.Dowództwo Operacyjne Rodzajów Sił Zbrojnych) and Armed Forces Branches General Command's Inspectorate of Wojska Specjalne (Pol.Dowództwo Generalne Rodzajów Sił Zbrojnych), (Pol.Inspektorat Wojsk Specjalnych). Before Komorowski & Koziej reform (structure till 31.12.2013) fromBiuro Bezpieczeństwa Narodowego, Wojska Specjalne had simply organisation of commanding (force user & force provider) - Dowództwo Wojsk Specjalnych.[6][7]
Continuing with its tradition of honoring and remembering Poland's legacy fromWorld War II, JWK unveiled its new insignia on December 30, 2013 with the formal debut being January 1, 2014. The unit described it as a "combination of tradition and modernity", with the insignia referring to the legacy of thePolish Home Army, while at the same time bringing in modernity by incorporating the distinctive symbols ofpartisan &commando forces.
The anchor, known asKotwica, refers to the "Poland Fighting" symbol of the Polish resistance movement from World War II, which was present on the insignia of Batalion Miotła (current insignia of JWK's Squadron A),Batalion Parasol (current insignia of JWK's Squadron C) andBatalion Zośka (current insignia of JWK's Sub-Command and Security element); the three reconnaissance battalions from the Polish Home Army.
Incorporated in the "Kotwica" anchor is a dagger, a worldwide-recognizable symbol of special operations forces and also a nod to the unit's previous insignias both as 1PSK and as JWK.
The red color of the emblem refers to the color ofNo. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando unit from World War II and itsNo. 6 Polish Troop also known as the 1st Independent Company, whose Combined Operations recognition badge serves as the current insignia for JWK's Squadron B. The black background of the unit's insignia is a nod to the official color of thePolish Special Forces.[8]
Candidates wanting to serve in the Regiment must first successfully undertake a basic military training course. They then move on to a three-month “Junior Specialist” training course. During this phase recruits receive training inclose combat,hand to hand combat, fighting with specialised equipment, parachuting, land navigation, weapons handling, basic survival, and several other military-related skills. Troops who successfully complete the second phase then move onto the unit, where they are assigned to a Battle Team (Zespół Bojowy). Once there, additional training continues (mountain and cold weather training,sniper,Casevac, amphibious operations, etc.). Volunteering soldiers from the unit can receive advanced training in allied countries, most notably the U.S. Army Ranger course.
Theregiment has been quite active in recent years. In 2003, troops were deployed to supportNATO operations in theRepublic of Macedonia during theKosovo conflict; a 13-man detachment was deployed toAfghanistan as part ofPolish support forOperation Enduring Freedom (OEF). In 2006, they were in charge of protecting the Polski Kontyngent Wojskowy (Polish Military Contingent) in Pakistan which helped intechnical rescue after thePakistan earthquake.
Squadron B of JWK was deployed to Iraq (Iraq War) as part of the Multinational Division Central-South in Diwaniyah. Headquartered in Camp Echo under Polish command.
Squadron B of JWK were involved in combat operations throughout Afghanistan, including theKandahar Province.
In 2007 reports of war crimes from JWK soldiers started to become public. In August of 2007, a Polish patrol attacked the village of Nangar Khel, killing six civilians, including three children, and wounding three others.
Squadron B was deployed toIraq (Iraq War) as part of theMultinational Division Central-South inDiwaniyah. Soldiers fought together with the5th SFG ODA and were fighting and leadingspecial operations throughout Afghanistan, including theKandahar Province. Since 2010 Squadron B of JWK compound formedISAF SOF Task Force 50 which perform special operations like capturingJPEL's, Special Reconnaissance, FID. TF-50 soldiers are operating inGhazni Province andPaktika (War in Afghanistan). In 2016, JW Komandosów was tasked with training the elite Ukrainian1st Battalion, 79th Airborne-Assault Brigade, whose soldiers were nicknamed Cyborgs for their famousdefense of Donetsk airport in 2014.[9]
Like all units subordinated to COS-DKWS, JWK personnel wear aMultiCam or Suez (Poland's own version of MultiCam developed around 2007, no longer issued and currently being phased out) uniform while in garrison. For various reasons, they may also wear civilian clothing. Soldiers may also wear a distinctive dark green beret with a badge depicting the Eagle of the Polish Special Forces, though it is not mandatory except for a formal ceremony or with the dress uniform. Apart from Command personnel, all other personnel wear uniforms and berets that bear no name or rank so as to conceal and protect their identities. Civilian haircuts and facial hairs are authorized to help soldiers blend-in with the rest of the population. Every soldier serving in a combat capacity within the unit has a nickname used to refer to him when in a public environment.
Weapons in use within JWK as of mid-2015.
Source:[10]
Since its inception the unit has lost eleven members as a result of active military duty.[11]
