The review of safety procedures, the implementation of the fresh hazard assessment strategy and the announcement of the amendment of the Homeland Defence Act are the actions of the Ministry of National Defence following tragic accidents on the ground. On Thursday, Cezary Tomczyk, Secretary of State in the MON, answered questions from opposition MPs in the Sejm.
At the session of the Sejm, Members of the Law and Justice addressed questions to the Ministry of National Defence on current issues. Members of Parliament were interested, among others, in the question of the defence ministry's actions taken in consequence to fresh tragic accidents in the fields. Within a fewer weeks, six events occurred in the military, resulting in the death or death of 7 Polish soldiers and 1 military from Spain. On behalf of the Ministry of Defence, Mr Tomczyk, Secretary of State of the MON, responded.
– There is nothing more valuable to Poland than the life and wellness of Polish soldiers – the Deputy Minister said. Therefore, as he pointed out, each of these accidents is separately investigated by the D.A. and the Military Police. – The General Staff of the Polish Army reviewed the applicable safety rules and training programmes and took action to make a methodology for hazard assessment in training," said Cezary Tomczyk. Temporary procedures are to be implemented by the end of May, and from 1 June, the military will return to average practice practice (explosives exercises were temporarily suspended). The mark legal solutions will be implemented on 1 October of this year. Tomczyk besides informed that a decision was made to establish the P7 Training Board in the SGWP structures, which will comprehensively address the training process in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland. Currently, this issue in the General Staff is under the Management Board of Armed Forces Planning and Training – P3/P7.
The Deputy Minister besides mentioned factors that could have contributed to the increase in hazard during field training and pointed to Article 61 of the Law on Defence of the Motherland. It provides that a individual who receives a category A military qualification does not request to undergo additional intellectual and medical examinations if, within 3 years, he joins the military as part of a voluntary essential military service. “It cannot be that there is no intellectual survey of soldiers who have continuous access to weapons,” said the Deputy Minister. He announced that the Ministry of Defence would urgently send the Sejm an amendment to the Homeland Defence Act to destruct this legal gap.
The increased hazard of accidents may besides have been affected by the strength of the exercise. – From January to April this year, up to 40 percent more soldiers were trained than from 2020 to 2023," said Tomczyk. According to the Deputy Minister, about 60,000 soldiers are active in training at training ground and cross-country exercises all day.
Another interesting issue was the process of creating territorial defence troops. “When will the 15th and 17th OT Brigades be formed to be formed by 1 January 2024?” asked Marcin Ociepa (PiS). According to Cezary Tomczyk, the procedure for forming both said units will be completed in May this year. Referring to the allegation of delaying this process, he stated that on 1 February 2021 the then Minister of Defence Mariusz Błaszczak did not accept the draft decision on organisational changes in WOT. This prevented the formal launch of the formation of these 2 brigades. – On 22 January 2024, Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz informed the WOT of the arrangement of organizational and phase applications for forming the 15th and 17th OT Brigades. The forming procedure was officially launched and will be completed in May," added Deputy Minister.
