Frag Out! Magazine

of those units to the geographic location of their deployment. Another significant matter was the soldiers' familiarity with the region they were stationed in. The idea was to introduce a principle of "protecting one's home", aiming to strengthen the emotional bond between those serving at particular TD sub-units with their units, thus impact- ing the outcome of training. For instance, according to the final ap- proved version of the plan of development of TD, four brigades to be formed on the basis of the dissolved units of operational forces were to be assigned different tasks and structures, and equipped with differ- ent armaments. The idea was that each of those brigades would operate in totally different conditions, and although their structures were alike (five battalions), the primary sub-units of each of them would have different weaponry and special equip- ment at their disposal. Also, the training programs for each of those units were to differ as well. The Olsztyn TD brigade was to be a light unit, focusing on operations conducted on inland waters and in thick woodlands; the Przemyśl brigade was to be a reconnaissance unit; the Białystok brigade – a mechanized unit, supplied with armored vehicles; and the Kłodzko brigade – a mountain unit. Eventually in the period 2000-2001, the fol- lowing units were formed one after another: Ä 14th TD Brigade (Przemyśl), Ä 18th TD Brigade (Białystok), Ä 22nd TD Mountain Infantry Brigade (Kłodzko), Ä 23rd TD Brigade (Gliwice). They were similar in structure, and did not have heavier military equipment – such as armored vehicles – at their disposal (except 18th TD). By 2003, only seven TD brigades were established in total, consist- ing – theoretically – of 35 infantry battal- ions and 5 engineering rescue battalions, which was around 1/3 of the planned size of TD forces, including only a part of the assumptions of the developed concept. A NEW CONCEPT A new "Concept of restructuring of territo- rial defense forces" was approved by the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces in 2002. Due to insufficient funds, it as- sumed a decrease in the headcount of TD forces to 2-3 thousand in peacetime and to 50-70 thousand in wartime. It was also decided that given the insufficient amount of armaments and military equipment – and not enough money to purchase such armaments and equipment, it was simply impossible to form the general-purpose TD units in the number assumed earlier. According to the amended concept, most TD units after mobilization were to con- sist of facility protection units. Apart from those, the plan was to have fully-motor- ized TD units (brigades and battalions) to complement and support own operations and those carried out by allied operational forces. They were not to be bound to par- ticular operational areas limited to a single province. In 2003, the units of the 23rd TD Brigade were dissolved, followed by dissolution of the remaining units in 2008-2009. The new circumstances assumed that territorial de- fense sub-units would be mobilized only in the event of a crisis or conflict; only in 2015 was it revealed that the idea was to call up www.fragoutmag.com

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