After 3 years of command, the 12th Szczecin Division Mechanized Major General Simon Koziatek solemnly handed the controls over the 12th Division to Major General Michael Rohde.
On Monday, September 29th in the barracks of the 12th Battalion of Command of Ulanów Podolskie in Szczecin, there was a handover of command of 12th Szczecin Division Mechanized name Bolesław Krzywousty.
This peculiar ceremony was attended by: Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of National Defence Stanisław Wzątek, manager of the Department of Education, Culture and National Heritage at the Ministry of National Defence Wojciech Bal, Commander General of Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Marek Sokołowski, Military Types Inspector at the General Command of Armed Forces Types, Major General Jacek Ostrowski, representatives of local authorities headed by the West Pomeranian Voivodeship Adam Rudawski, as well as uniformed services and institutions cooperating with the 12th Division.
The celebration began with the adoption of a study by the Commander-General of the Types on the readiness of the subdivisions, which reviewed the subdivisions representing units straight subordinate to the ‘Twentieth’.
After raising the state flag for the mast and playing the national anthem, it was time for the ceremony to pass on duties, and after it for occasional speeches. General Sokołowski spoke first: “General Koziatek has placed the bar advanced on his successor. I hope that the fresh position will deliver adequate challenges. I besides want you good luck and soldier's luck on your way. Today, General Rohde takes command of the 12th Division, who is simply a highly qualified officer, experienced and surely a suitable individual in this position."
After that, General Koziatek gave his final speech to the 12th Division soldiers: “In finishing my service as Commander of the 12th Division, I would like to thank wholeheartedly all those who accompanied me in this remarkable way [...]. Thank you for your exemplary performance and your commitment. I want my successor General Michael Rohde, by finishing command of the 12th Division, to feel that he is leaving with regret, not relief and with the conviction that he is leaving a lasting trail.”
On the another hand, General Rohde stated that “Twelve is simply a magic digit. 12 were students. 12 months in a calendar year. The clock besides has 12 hours. No organization, no mechanics will work decently if it does not function properly. I thank General Koziatk for maintaining specified a advanced level of all Division units. For setting the bar so high. For the fact that soldiers with dedication, in full devotion and advanced morale execute their duties in the service of the Republic. From this place, I want to assure you all as you stand here, that my individual example will strive to proceed to develop, deepen knowledge, teach, as well as how to pass on this already acquired cognition and pass on to generations of people in uniform.”
The ceremony ended with a parade of subdivisions.
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Maj-Gen Szymon Koziatek was a subject of the Higher School of Officers of Armed Forces in Wrocław. After its completion in 1993, he held command and staff positions in the 18th Infantry and Assault Battalion and 25th Air Cavalry Brigade.
Since 2010, he has performed tasks at the Operations Command of Armed Forces Types (Deputy Head of the Land Operations Branch, Head of the Operations Centre) and the General Staff of the Polish Army (Deputy Head of the Management Board of Planning and Programming of Armed Forces P5). From 2018 to 2020 he commanded the 6th Airborne Brigade, and in 2019 returned to the General Staff of the HR for the position of Chief of P5.
As of 01 October 2022, he was appointed Commander of the 12th Mechanized Division, and from 01 October this year he will be appointed Deputy Commander of the 2nd Polish Corps for Interoperability.
In the meantime, he participated in abroad missions in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kosovo.
Maj-Gen Michał Rohde was a subject of the Higher Officership School of Armoured Forces in Poznań, which he graduated in 1998. Since then, he has held command and staff positions in military units and staff of the 11th Armoured Cavalry Division (e.g. tank platoon commander, Civil-Military Cooperation Section officer, Reconnaissance Section Chief, Mechanized Battalion commander).
In 2015, he was appointed Head of the Operations Division Service in the General Command of Armed Forces Types, from where he switched to the 19th Mechanized Brigade as its Commander in 2019. In 2021, he took up the position of Deputy Commander – Head of Staff of the 12th Mechanicalised Division, from which he was assigned to the 2nd Polish Corps in 2023 to the position of Deputy Commander for Interoperability.
Meanwhile, he participated twice in abroad missions in Afghanistan.
Text: Major Błażej Łukaszewski
