OSCE Diplomats visit NATO soldiers ready on the Eastern Flank
BEMOWO PISKIE, Poland – The NATO Forward Land Forces Battle Group-Poland, composed of rotational troops from four nations, is forward-deployed to Poland at the Bemowo Piskie Training Area (BPTA). On Oct. 11, 2026, ambassadors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna, Austria, visited these troops and their military hosts, the Polish 15th Mechanized Brigade
The OSCE, composed of 57 states from Europe, Central Asia, and North America, was established more than 50 years ago as part of the Helsinki Final Act.
The ambassadors visited BPTA partly because they were attending the Warsaw Human Dimension Conference.
U.S. Ambassador to the OSCE Darrell Owens was able to host a small group of his colleagues at BPTA and said, “It was an honor to be able to host them and show them up here and walk through not only my experience but how the U.S. troops that are here are working hand in glove with our NATO counterparts and both in Poland and all over Europe.”
Owens, a Soldier himself, met fellow Soldiers through a static display and a visit to the tracked motor pool, where Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 37th Armored Regiment showed the ambassadors their M1A2 Abrams.
He had been to Poland about nine years earlier. He spoke humbly about the visit, saying that talking to Soldiers in the chow line and “eating some good Polish food with them truly, truly made me happy, and really made quite an impression on all of our fellow ambassadors who were here.”
During opening remarks at BPTA, Polish Ambassador Marek Szczygieł said the Soldiers are the defense capability, and theirs is to assist with international arrangements, the environment, required resources, and political backing.
“Strengthening our ability to protect peace comes at certain costs. Right now, this cost is 5% of GDP, the annual defense investment agreed upon by NATO allies,” said Szczygieł. “In Poland, we show the world that we are ready to pay this price because we understand it is an investment in our collective security. These are challenging times. While the future is uncertain, our commitment to collective defense is unwavering.”
In Poland, Lt. Col. Steven Saxion, his troops under the 2nd Battalion, 37th Armored Regiment, and NATO Allies from the British Light Dragoons, the 18th Croatian contingent, and the Romanian “Transylvanian Gepards” Air Defense Detachment, 20th rotation, have worked together to align future dates for joint training in BPTA.
Saxion and his battalion have also worked on many NATO-aligned tasks, showcasing dedication to the job and supporting the mission in northeastern Poland.
Col. Mirosław Spurek, commander of the 15th Mechanized Brigade, a Polish liaison officer with the Land Forces Training Center in Orzysz and Saxion, representing the battle group, all presented to the Ambassadors. They answered any questions they may have about the defense posture in the training area and surrounding parts of Poland.
Saxion said he believes Ambassador Owens was thrilled to interact with Soldiers and hear a bit about the mission at BPTA.
“I think the other NATO ambassadors also had a strategic appreciation for what it means to be part of the battle group and what our mission is here on the forward edge of freedom in Poland,” said Saxion. “And overall, this was a successful visit.”
Owens said, “To be part of such an alliance where you have all these folks working together on the same mission for the same reason, and doing an exceptional job. It's really impressive!”
The mission continues for the battle group on NATO’s eastern flank together, and so do the diplomats.
“Different missions, same priorities,” said Owens.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
