A large crowd kicked up clouds of dust here as they walked down a dirt road in hopes of witnessing a historic moment on June 7.
Excitement filled the air as people exchanged smiles, laughed and conversed about the upcoming event.
Approximately 1,200 paratroopers participated in an airborne operation, which kicked off exercise Swift Response 2016.
Swift Response is an annual multinational training exercise, which highlights interoperability, and builds upon relationships the U.S. has developed with its European partners.
Training Exercise
This year, the training exercise included more than 5,000 soldiers and airmen from Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain and the United States, and took place in Poland and Germany from May 27-June 26.
For Army Spc. Ryan Krawczyk, an infantryman from Company A, 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, this wasn’t just another day. Not only was it an opportunity to be a part of history, but it was also a chance to parachute into a country that he says is very special to him.
Krawczyk said his parents relocated to the United States from Poland before he was born. He said his parents wanted to provide him with the best opportunity for success, and they felt that moving to the U.S. would be the best course of action.
“I learned [the value of hard of work] early on in life,” Krawczyk said. “My dad worked 80-90 hours per week to support our family.”
Krawczyk bounced back and forth between the two countries throughout his childhood, and aside from a couple of aunts and uncles, he says most of his family still lives in Poland.
‘Poland is Great’
“Poland is great … it’s very laid back and focused on growing with the culture and arts,” Krawcyk said. “The people are all about contributing to society instead of worrying about their own individual accomplishments.”
Krawczyk knew before he entered the Army that he wanted to contribute in some way. He chose to be an infantryman and decided that he wanted to become a paratrooper.
He said he deployed to Afghanistan with the 504th in August 2014, and is currently serving with the unit as a radio telephonic operator.
Krawczyk says being a part of Swift Response is something he was looking forward to because of his ties to Poland, and that he was excited to jump in front of the locals.
“Poland as a whole has an amazing culture and the citizens are selfless,” Krawczyk said. “It was a long plane ride but it was worth it.”
As planes flew over Poland there was one local in particular that was keeping an eye out for Krawczyk -- his mother.
Mom Watches Her Paratrooper Son
Krawczyk’s mother has been there for him ever since the day he was born, he said, and she was hoping to catch a glimpse of him before he took part in the event.
She was in a nearby city waiting for the opportunity to see the aircraft her son was flying in.
Krawczyk said she was unable to make it to the drop zone to witness the airborne operation in person, but she watched his plane pass overhead on its way to drop him off. He said she told him she was very proud of him for his decision to join the military, to stick with his decision, and for his part in the jump into Poland.
Once the paratroopers landed in the drop zone they rallied together with their respective formations in order to execute their missions as part of an overall strategy.
“Each country brings their strengths to this exercise,” Krawczyk said. “I think the biggest benefit is getting to know each other and building relationships with paratroopers from other places.”
Krawczyk says that he enjoyed spending time with Polish paratrooper friends and speaking to them in his native tongue. He also said he enjoyed seeing firsthand how they carried themselves while conducting their operations.
“It’s been an honor to conduct this multinational jump into Poland with the 82nd Airborne Division,” Krawczyk said. “It’s been something like a gift, and I’ll never forget it.”