GROM DNA

polska-zbrojna.pl 2 weeks ago

The road to GROM's combat squad is long and exhausting. Those who pass it can number on the most hard tasks, whose success is celebrated in absolute silence. During the 35 years of existence of the unit, her instructors developed an effective recruitment strategy and a training cycle that the soldier makes a combat squad operator.

A fewer years ago in Afghanistan, soldiers Military Unit GROM Together with Afghan partners, they released hostages who had been held in makeshift prison for many days, beaten and tortured by torturers. The operation conducted under cover of night was perfectly planned. possibly that's how it happened without fire contact with the enemy, and ours didn't lose any damage. The Afghan mission was 1 of many carried out by experts in hostage-taking – GROM unit operators. What is behind the successes of the missions they carry out? The answer is simple, it is an excellent preparation of combat squad operators to execute the most complicated tasks. It is much harder to recruit and train them. During 35 years of existence, however, her soldiers developed a strategy that allows you to find specified people and make them.

RECLAMA

Three teams, 1 task

Combat squad at GROM Military Unit They make well trained soldiers, called operators. “We are able to carry out the mission entrusted to us in all operating domain, land, air, sea or cyber space,” says “P.”, an officer in command in a combat team. – Combat squad is simply a precise tool in the hands of the commander of the unit. His power is people who didn't come here by accident. The selected and then for many years trained soldiers are yet ready to execute the most hard tasks – completes “K”.

There are 3 conflict teams in GROM, and their names are simply the first 3 letters of the alphabet: A, B and C. “All teams have the same scope of activities, they are besides homogeneous in their structure,” explains “P.” He adds that they function in specified time cycles. – For example, squad A for six months is ready to execute tasks outside Poland, squad B to execute tasks in the country, squad C at this time plays its combat capability. all six months there is simply a change, says the operator. Each squad is divided into groups, and these in turn into sections. Additionally, the squad includes command groups and logistics security.

The most valuable in combat teams are people. It is not known how many operators have a GROM, but we know that they are soldiers who are well trained in circumstantial specializations. “They are, of course, evolving under the influence of changing threats, but the main ones can be assumed to be: section commander, deputy section commander, commissar, breacher – pyrotechnics, doctor and dog guide”, says “P.” Each of these people has their own additional specializations or tasks adapted to, among others, the section profile. A separate group of specialists are made up of snipers.

A long and very demanding road leads to a squad of operators. The reward is... Read the text to the end.

Cooperation above all

– The service in the GROM combat squad is for people... How do you describe them in 1 word? For the brave, he says “K.” However, not only the tasks that operators face require courage. – She is needed erstwhile individual decides to join the selection. Or even earlier – the minute she starts preparing for her. In the unit where I served before GROM, I had many colleagues who, I was sure, would follow me. They'll finish the selection, too. But it didn't. They lacked courage, ended up talking about dreams – the interviewer says.

But let's presume we have a brave candidate who wants to service in the GROM combat team. What does he gotta face? – This is simply a very demanding and multi-stage road. It starts with a selection – this is the first sieve that sows people who do not meet our requirements – says “P.” The selection is divided into respective stages, it consists of talks with psychologists, exams to check physical fitness, and yet respective days of investigating in the mountains. – Soldiers from combat teams are active in the selection process from the very beginning. Already at this stage, we catch people with leadership qualities who could command in GROM. But we besides announcement specified attitudes that disqualify from the service in the team," he says. It's all about teamwork. “It is usually that candidates effort to make a group, which is not easy during selection, due to the fact that many tasks gotta do solo. But they show this request to unite in a group. However, there are those who do not feel it, who go alone, who are self-sufficient. This is not a bad feature, but, unfortunately, it prevents entry into the combat squad – explains the operator. This 1 lacks to send us everything else. So you can do great, you can finish the marathon in evidence time, but if you can't aid your friend, unfortunately, you don't fit in with us – the soldier adds.

However, selection is only the beginning of the beginning. – It is said that it is an utmost test, that it is very difficult, that it is exhausting, but... After a while you can see that it was only an episode on the way to the band – admits “K.

For those who complete this phase successfully and are admitted to the GROM, another 1 opens. It's a KDS – peculiar activities course. – We take a candidate who has completed the selection and we look at him even more carefully: we will see who you are. We'll get to know you a small better, says “P.” On the KDS, soldiers learn the basic principles in force in the unit, i.e. fire management techniques, tactical actions in forest, urban and marine environments, work with a group of combat vehicles, handling dense weapons and basics of operation with explosive loads, field medicine or navigation. The course lasts about six months, and its participants are constantly watched by instructors who see who should enter the squad and who will not find area for themselves. They pay attention to the velocity of learning, how candidates cope in the group. – Those who do not meet the requirements of the operators, after completing the course, power unit support teams. And that's a large solution. These people know the basics of operators, so erstwhile a common task needs to be done, everything is easier due to the fact that we don't gotta explain anything to each another – explains “P.” Those who announcement an operator's ‘gen’ on the KDS are headed for the basic course.

You're coming to the wall.

– I think that no individual in Poland has specified a course. How we conduct it is an evenement,” says “K.” explaining that no actions of its participants are carried out on a pretend basis. "During the primary course, you usage sharp ammunition and real loads. Only in this way will you learn how to control yourself, but it will besides come to you full aware that in your hands is the life of your colleagues, and above all the life of those you want to save," adds “P.”

The basic course lasts six months and is divided into stages: advanced level of fire-tactic training (Close Quarters conflict – CQB) and training in urban and marine areas in the formation of the assault section. “This is simply a continuation of training from the core of the GROM soldiers, learning what is most crucial in the unit and what the members of the militant squad must know,” stresses “P.”.

The full course is filled not only with science, but besides with tests. Candidates are assessed and tested whether they absorb the cognition that instructors supply to them. And, unfortunately, even at this stage, it may happen that the dreams of a combat squad request to be put in a drawer that says “for later” or “never”. “There have been many times that in the last weeks of the course people have dropped out of it. Sometimes they were ruled out by injury or random occurrence, and sometimes they just didn't keep up with others. We have no usage for specified a man in the team, due to the fact that that cognition you request to gain is even more,” explains “K.”

Operators point out that the basic course is the part of the way to the squad that is mentioned as the most crucial after years. - You experience specified things here... Sometimes you think you got to the wall. This wall is fatigue, quite a few pressure, but above all, knowing what might happen when, for a moment, your thoughts escape the task erstwhile you hesitate. You can hurt yourself, you can hurt a friend," he says. On the another hand, you announcement you can do more all day. That everything you do makes sense and is for something – adds “K.” The operator admits that although the completion of each phase of the conflict team's way was a triumph for him, the final of the base course was exceptional.

– For the remainder of my life, I will remember the minute where you Alexander Tarnawski, silent, he handed me the silent arch – a symbol of belonging to the combat squad – recalls “K.” As long as the silent, patrons of the individual lived, there was a tradition in GROM, according to which it was they who handed the labels to fresh operators. They passed on their duties to their homeland. But besides this moment, although highly pleasant, was just beginning the door to further challenges.

Comfort Zone

Because entering a combat squad is not easy. – The process of becoming a full operator takes about 3 years of service in the section. First, you gotta show what you can bring to her, where you can be useful," she says. Young operators shall start specialised courses to which their section commander shall direct them. – It would besides be very desirable for specified a man to go on a mission and test himself in conducting the operation. erstwhile we took part in a mission in Afghanistan, it sometimes happened shortly after joining the team," he stressed.

The commander of the unit has a tool in hand that in a akin way as the mission allows him to check the operators. It's parachute training. – I participated in a real fight, in fire contacts, and I remember perfectly well what accompanied me, as a soldier. And I know what goes along with me erstwhile I do parachute jumps in GROM. There are many common denominators: stress, adrenaline, the request to make fast decisions. We're trained to outsmart our opponent and yet win with him. It's the same in parachuting. We know how to make a safe jump. We know the scheme, we know the procedures, so it is erstwhile it comes to fire contact – we know what to do to win. 1 thing we can't be certain of – what destiny will bring us. And the exchange of fire, and parachuting are very akin in this – believes “K.”

Team work is moving fast, and for many operators, this environment becomes... a comfort zone. – You gotta give yourself a dose in a combat squad so you don't burn out. It is not possible to keep a man on the squad for many years at the level of commitment that GROM is about. We request to stimulate it somehow," he says. That's why soldiers are directed to another teams or GROM departments. – Rotation in specializations besides aims to grow the skills of the operator. After a while, they return to us with fresh skills and at the same time with the hunger of the service as an operator," explains “P.”

That makes sense.

Those who discover this hunger have a way of satisfying it, although GROM's tasks are inactive changing. "Until recently, our actions were aimed at combating mainly national terrorism. The year 2022 changed many things. There has been a redirection of a look at another kind of threats and preparation for them. The fact that we are a neighbour of Ukraine, and the fact that we have a common opponent, mobilizes us enormously to Take experience from the soldiers who fight on the front today. What skills are at our price now? surely those related to unmanned systems, fresh technologies, areas that are not straight related to human action," he says. – We conduct analyses of how to manage peculiar forces in fresh challenges in the field of next generation combat. surely we cannot let these highly specialized groups to do badly and then lose. It's a non-return loss," he adds.

New challenges for GROM do not change the most crucial task of carrying out hostage-release operations. – This is the DNA of this unit – the operators emphasize. How many people did they save lives? – The quieter you talk about it, the better – is the answer you can get to specified a question. What, then, is the operation to release the hostage? “First of all, it is crucial to realise that the execution of specified a mission is an overarching nonsubjective over the life of the operator. We're ready to sacrifice our lives to save someone. That's why we're trained, and that's why we're the best at it," he says. Each specified mission requires excellent planning and testing. – We make them very frequently in objects akin to those in which it will be held. If we're going into a building, we're building his model. We practice all step of the mission to perfection. all operator knows precisely what to do, says “K.” The key to the success of the mission is the surprise of the opponent. “We want to do it on our terms so that we can decide what to do next”, he adds and points out that the strength of teams is the ability to adapt to changes and find ourselves in situations where the opponent forces another than planned actions of operators. Like erstwhile he starts killing hostages. “We are ready for anything,” admits “P.”

Things don't always go as planned. GROM is not a miracle worker. – The mission is to save the life of the hostage and that we are coming home safe. But destiny can be cruel – he says “K”., mentioning operators who have lost their wellness and their lives by doing their job. Fortunately, GROM leaves a tiny field to show off. We're doing our job.

Main tasks

GROM was created 35 years ago and its founder was Colonel Sławomir Petelickiwhich until present remains a legend for the soldiers of the unit. Over the years, the tasks of the unit (and its ministry) changed, although the most crucial task remained unchanged: moving actions to release hostages. Even present there is no known information about how many people were saved by soldiers of the Polish unit.

The core of the unit is its expedition, but in consequence to the emerging terrorist risks in the country, GROM operators are besides trained to counter interior safety threats specified as kidnappings, terrorist attacks in means of communication and during mass events.

They besides possess, as any of the few, the ability to prevent and respond to threats of mass destruction. The GROM is besides ready to respond to threats to critical infrastructure on land and at sea. Among the tasks of operators is the protection of VIPs in conflict zones, in which they can support the State Protection Tactical Service.

Selected missions

– During the Second War in the Persian Gulf, the GROM performed an operation to reflect strategical oil terminals in the port of Umm Kasr. GROM operators under night cover disarmed the explosives and took control of the facility in just 15 minutes. For this action, they were thanked by American Secretary of defence Donald Rumsfeld.

– Aim Operation small Flower, held on 27 June 1997 in Slavonia, was the detention of Slavko Dokmanović, erstwhile mayor of Vukovar accused of participating in the Ovčar massacre. The mission, as part of UNTAES operations, was carried out by the GROM itself. The soldiers prepared an ambush, a simulated road accident that managed to halt the criminal. Dokmanović was transported to the Hague Court, where he committed suicide after a fewer days. GROM's success contributed to strengthening Poland's global position and influenced the process of accession to NATO.

– In 2020, as part of NATO mandates in the muslim Republic of Afghanistan, GROM operators successfully carried out a peculiar operation to release a group of hostages – Afghan citizens – and identified respective buildings that were the permanent residence of terrorists. Large amounts of evidence, explosives and mortar grenades were besides found, which were then neutralized. This operation was a major success and has echoed widely in Afghan media at central level.

– After the Taliban took over power GROM evacuated Kabul in 2021 more than 1,000 people, including co-workers, allied citizens and VIPs. This mission was very dangerous. She could have changed her character at any moment.

Ewa Korsak
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