Commandos Military Unit

Poland’s

1 Pulk Specjalny Komandosów 1PSK 1st Special Commando Regiment

The Polish Army’s 1st Special (Commando) Regiment, or 1 PSK, is one of three special operations units currently operating within the Polish military’s force structure.

The unit, based in Lubliniec, near Częstochowa, is currently operating under the command of Col. Jania. The Regiment carries on the traditions of several World War II special mission units. These WWII units, organized with the assistance of the US and England, consisted of the 2nd Commando Battalion, of the Special Motorized Battalion and the “Parasol” (Umbrella) and “Zoœka” Sabotage Battalion.

Prior to 1994, the Regiment was composed of a single battalion (1 Independent Special Battalion), but it’s currently organized into three special battalions and an independent combat swimmer company. Each battalion is composed of three companies, which are divided into three platoons. Each platoon contains 3-six man teams giving the unit a total strength of approximately 90 operational teams, plus support staff.

Thanks to the unit’s high recruiting standards, and a special training program the Regiment implemented several years ago, the unit’s soldiers display a higher level of skill and professionalism, when compared to other Polish forces. The Regiment’s troops are trained to undertake a wide range of special missions during war time, with it’s troops being capable of conducting air assault, helicopter, and parachute operations (including HALO and HAHO operations); strategic and tactical reconnaissance operations; raids and ambushes; combat diver and underwater attack missions; providing support to other specialist units during hostage rescue operations; and other missions as deemed necessary. During their recent deployment to Iraq, 1PSK troops also conducted close protection duties for various high ranking military officials and civilian VIPs.

Candidates wishing to service in the Regiment must first successfully undertake a basic military training course. They then move on to three-month “Junior Specialist” training course. During this phase recruits receive training in close combat, unarmed combat, fighting with specialized equipment, parachuting, land navigation, weapons handling, basic survival, and several other military related skills. Those troops who successfully complete the second phase then move onto the Regiment, where they assigned to one the unit’s six-man operational teams. Once there additional training continues (mountain and cold weather training, sniper, amphibious operations, etc.).

The regiment has been quite active over the last few years with troops being deployed to support NATO operations in Macedonia. A 13-man detachment was deployed to Afghanistan as part of Poland’s support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). Most recently the unit has deployed a 56-man company to Iraq as part of the Multinational Division Central South. In the near future the unit is to become fully professional force composed entirely of professional soldiers. The Regiment, along with GROM counter terror unit and the Navy’s GSP (“Formoza”) combat diver unit, is slated to fall under a newly proposed Polish special operations command.

The 1PSK armories are currently in a state of flux as the unit tries to upgrade the equipment used by it’s operators. Weapons in use by the unit include the P83 and P94 WIST 9mm Para pistols, kbs wz.04 96 Beryl 5.56mm assault rifles, (many of the weapons have been modified with the addition of fore-grips, laser aiming devices, aiming lights/illumination devices, and various optics such as Tasco telescopic scopes and/or night vision devices), H&K MP-5, MP-5SD, Uzi, Glauberyt Pm-84P (some of which have been equipped with sound suppressors) 9mm sub-machineguns., km PK 7.62m GPMGs. Unit snipers are equipped with the Finnish 7.62mm SAKO TRG-21, TRG-22, and kbw SWD (“Dragunov”) sniper rifles.

Dominique Sumner

Sources:

http://www.wp.mil.pl/start.php?page=1011100001 www.specialoperations.com www.militaryphotos.net

Kommandos Magazine