Military Gendarmerie
|
1812 Ministry of attachment: Ministère de la Défense Workforce: 2 860 General manager: Colonel Tomasz POLUCH Address: KOMENDA GŁÓWNA ŻANDARMERII WOJSKOWEJ Tél.: +48 22 6857 100 Email: wwmkgzw@wp.mil.pl Website: www.zw.wp.mil.pl 
|
History
The 1st July 1812, the military Gendarmerie is created within the Polish army in the Grand duchy of Warsaw by a Napoleon’s order. In 1814, both States born following the Vienna Congress, the kingdom of Poland and the republic of Cracow (1815-1846), keep their Gendarmerie. During the uprising of November 1830, whereas the tsar suppresses the kingdom of Poland Gendarmerie, the insurrectionary national Government decides in December 1830 to concentrate the gendarmes around Warsaw. The following year, a police-customs officers’ battalion is set up with a recruitment of gendarmes who become famous in the battles of Debe Wielkie in March 1831, of Krynka, Rogoznica and Brodnica.
Recreated in spring 1863, the military Gendarmerie disappears again after the uprising failure of January 1863-1864. It reappears in August 1914 alongside the Polish legions established by the Austria-Hungary army. After the both emperors’ decree of 5 November 1916 and the creation of the temporary State Council, we try to group the Polish armed forces of which the Gendarmerie is a part. In July 1917, the Polish legions refusal to take the oath to the Austria-Hungary emperor leads to their liquidation. The majority of the Gendarmerie joins then the Polish armed forces, whereas the smallest part is associated with the Polish auxiliary corps that depends on Austrians.
After 11th November 1918, the military Gendarmerie keeps its place in the Polish army. In 1920, it participates in the military operations against the Red Army. After the marshal Jozef Pilsudski’s May 1926 "Coup d’État", his staffs increase. The 1st June 1927, the Gendarmerie High Command is created. In 1935, the marshal’s death brings about a reorganization of the corps. During the September 1939 entry into the war, the whole Gendarmerie concentrates itself on the Polish army front, abandoning so the back zone. The gendarmes struggle in executing their missions because of the civilian population’s massive exodus. Many are captured by the Germans or by the Russians who massacre a large number of them in Kharkiv and to Katyn. After the 1939 defeat, Gendarmerie units are created everywhere where the Polish army is reconstituted [to add:] in France, in England and in the USSR. A clandestine Gendarmerie is formed besides in the occupied Polish territories.
After 1945, the Poland fall over in the Communist Bloc leads to the disappearance of the military Gendarmerie in 1949. Its functions are taken back by the interior Military service, Wewnetrzna Sluzba Wojskowa (WSW). Recreated officially on April the 18th, 1990, the military Gendarmerie takes back its service on 1st September 1990. The 25th October 1992 Poland Republic compulsory defence law amendment defines its new competences and obligations.
Organization
The military Gendarmerie is under the Ministry of Defence guardianship.
Central Organization
The military Gendarmerie Headquarters is organized in three functional divisions of base and departments:
• the division of Prevention consisting of 3 departments:
- Prevention Department,
- Prophylaxis Department,
- Training Department;
• the division in charge of Criminal investigations including 5 departments:
- Criminal department,
- Investigation Department,
- Criminal evaluation and Analysis Department,
- Security and files Department,
- Psychophysiological researches Department;
• the Administration - Logistics - technological Element Division including 4 groups:
- Support Department,
- Staff Department,
- Education Department,
- Press Section;
• 4 departments directly connected with military Gendarmerie’s Commander:
- Coordination Department,
- Intelligence internal Protection and Classified Information Department,
- Legal department,
- Regulation Department.
Territorial organization
Since the 1st of July 2011, the military Gendarmerie includes:
• the headquarters;
• 6 zones (MGTU) organized in subdivisions (MG);
• 2 Specialized Forces;
• A Training centre;
• A Support unit.
Specialized Training
• The Warsaw military Gendarmerie Specialized unit. The birth of the Warsaw Gendarmerie specialized unit on the 25th January 2005 marked the official beginning of that of Minsk Mazowiecki. With regard to the remarkable service realized, this newly created unit was rewarded by the presentation of the banner in June of the same year. Two years later, in August 2007 - Polish national Day for the army - the MGSU of Minsk Mazowiecki was allocated the Republic of Poland flag by the Republic of Poland President. The Minsk Mazowiecki military Gendarmerie specialized unit training was the object of an adjustment of the Gendarmerie strengths in order to realize at best the execution of the tasks and the duties resulting from the Polish Armed forces transformation and the implementation of crisis system of answer in front of international terrorism. The decision to create this type of unit was also the result of the need to have operational sub-units prepared and trained according to the international standards and ready for executing the peacekeeping, stabilization and humanitarian missions tasks realized within the NATO, the UNO and the European Union. The MGSU in Minsk Mazowiecki is trained to be employed in operations for the benefit of the Polish Armed forces units (fight against terrorism, protection of buildings, intervention during natural disasters). It also provides a police assistance for the benefit of the allied Forces stationed on the Polish republic territory. The unit is completely professional. During the specialists training, this one commits the best Police instructors and the former GROM soldiers.
Missions
• Fight against terrorism.
• Fight against criminality.
• Properties and people protection.
• Sensitive points Protection.
• State High authorities Protection.
• Public order maintenance.
• Environmental protection.
• Protection of the population against the biological, radiological, chemical risks.
• Traffic police.
• Borders Control.
• Participation in the humanitarian operations in case of disasters.
• Military Police.
Staff
The Military Gendarmerie staff consists of about 2 860 gendarmes. Furthermore, it is authorized to employ 3 050 additional reserve soldiers, increasing so its number in more than 5 900 gendarmes. So strengthened, military Gendarmerie manoeuver battalions and independent companies from the same Gendarmerie are trained in order to strengthen the territorial zones of competence in case of crisis.
The investigation departments’ officers have to be holders of a diploma in law whereas, in the prevention department, the delivered training is sufficient.
In the non-commissioned officers’ corps, the recruitment favours the holders of a diploma in law.
According to the National Defence Minister’s Decision n° 65, the military Gendarmerie Commander is responsible for the recruitment of all active officers and reserve officers asking for their admission within the military Gendarmerie. The active soldiers’ recruitment until the rank of warrant officer is placed under the Commander of zone’s authority. At the end of the training, the officers are posted by the Minister of Defence, non-commissioned officers by the military Gendarmerie Commander and the soldiers by commanders of zone.
Training institutions
The training is performed in the military Gendarmerie training centres.
Main equipment
• Armament: Glock 17, MP-5 A3, PM-98 Glauberyt, PM-84 Glauberyt, assault rifle model 96 Mini-beryl, machine gun PK 7, 62 mm, rifle of precision TRG 21/22, pump-action shotgun Mossberg 500.
• Vehicles: Ford Transit, Land Rover Defender, Opel Vivaro, Skoda Octavia II and motorcycles (Yamaha FZ6).
Cooperation
Since March the 8th 2007, the military Gendarmerie is a partner of the European Gendarmerie Force (EGF). It participates in external operations/Field Operations Branch:
• under the NATO mandate (IASF and NTM-A in Afghanistan, KFOR in Kosovo, IRAQI Freedom in Iraq, IFOR and SFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Desert storm during the Gulf War);
• under the European Union mandate (EUFOR in Bosnia and Herzegovina, EUFOR in the Chad/Central Africa Republic, EUMM in Georgia, EUFOR in Congo);
• under the UNO mandate (UNIIMOG in Iraq and in Iran, UNTAG in Namibia, MINURSO in West Sahara, UNPROFOR in Ex-Yugoslavia, UNIFIL in Lebanon, UNDOF in Syria, MINURCAT in the Chad/Central Africa Republic).
© The iconography was provided by the concerned gendarmeries