Soldiers of the 20th Przemysl Territorial Defense Brigade took their military oath on Sunday. The ceremony at the Przemyśl market square was attended by the head of the KPRM, former Speaker of the Sejm Marek Kuchcinski, who stressed that they swear to "defend Poland, its independence and borders." "You swear to uphold the honor of the soldier, to guard the banner that will be established. You do all this for the sake of service and for the good of all citizens and our entire homeland - Poland," Marek Kuchciński said.
The head of the NPRM said that the Territorial Defense Forces also have additional tasks, such as supporting services and people in case of crises and natural disasters, among others.
"I think that the decision you have taken, ladies and gentlemen soldiers, requires great courage, great character and love of the homeland. And for that I thank you," - Kuchcinski said.
He also thanked "families, parents, relatives and all friends in whose environments you grew up in a patriotic spirit." "May Providence, may God watch over you and over Poland, over our homeland," the Speaker said.
The words of the oath's rote were uttered on Sunday by 37 people who completed the 16-day basic training. Another 32 who were drafted into the ranks of Przemysl had already had contact with the military, so they only underwent 8-day compensatory training. This group of soldiers was also present at the Przemyśl Market Square.
The decision to establish the 20th Przemysl Territorial Defense Brigade was signed by the Minister of Defense on March 18, 2021, during a briefing summarizing the activities of the Territorial Defense Forces for the previous year. Col. Daniel Blotko was appointed commander of the Przemysl Territorials on June 14.
The formation process of all three units is planned until 2025. By then, the structure of each brigade will include a command and staff, three light infantry battalions each, and independent subdivisions such as logistics, command, sappers and medical security.
The headquarters and staff of the 20th Przemysl OT Brigade, the independent subunits and the first of the light infantry battalions to be created later this year will be deployed in the Przemyśl area. Another two light infantry battalions will be dislocated in Jaroslaw and Sanok. The permanent region of responsibility of the 20PBOT will be the districts of Subcarpathian province adjacent to the border (Lubaczow, Jaroslaw, Przemysl, Sanok, Lesko and Bieszczady).
Also present at the ceremony were Deputy Marshal of the Subcarpathian Voivodeship Piotr Pilch and Deputy Governor Jolanta Sawicka.
