Official force name
Wojskowa Formacja Specjalna GROM im. Cichociemnych Spadochroniarzy Armii Krajowej
Other names
GROM
Grupa Reagowania Operacyjno-Manewrowego
Polish Army GROM Force
Branch
Chain of Command
Description
Readiness
Specializations
Conducting conventional or special light-infantry operations,
conducting direct action operations,
conducting raids,
infiltrating and exfiltrating by sea, air or land,
recovery of personnel and special equipment,
protection of civilians,
protection of VIP,
counter-terrorist strikes,
anti-terrorist strikes,
reconaissance,
peace-keeping and peace-restoring operations.
Headquarters
Motto
Structure
Unknown, probably approx. 270 to 300 men and women organised in squads of 4.
Equipment
Garment:
Pistols:
Machine pistols:
Sniper rifles:
Shotguns:
Remington Wingmaster
Artillery:
Poland's participation in NATO and UN operations.
GROM (short for Grupa Reagowania Operacyjno-Manewrowego - Operational Mobile Reaction Group; the acronym itself means thunder) is a special forces unit of the Polish Army. It was formed on July 13, 1990. It is used in a variety of special operations including anti-terrorist actions and projection of power on the rear of enemy lines.
The full name in Polish is Wojskowa Formacja Specjalna GROM im. Cichociemnych Spadochroniarzy Armii Krajowej (Special Military Formation GROM of the Cichociemni of Armia Krajowa, though it is rarely used. The acronym GROM is also related to the name of general Gromosław Czempiński , who among other actions, managed to evacuate a number of American agents from Iraq shortly before the Desert Storm. In Polish Army nomenclature it is called JW 2305 (JW stands for Jednostka Wojskowa - Military Unit).
History
Early history
In the 1970's and 1980's there were several special forces formations, but were either trained in typically military tasks (sabotage, disruption of communications and such) or in anti-terrorist actions. After the Polish embassy in Bern was captured by the terrorists in 1982, General Edwin Rozłubirski proposed that a military unit specialised in fast response to all possible threats be created. However, the proposal was initially refused.
In 1989 many Jews were allowed to leave the Soviet Union for Israel. For fear of Islamic terrorists who opposed increased immigration to Israel, most western European countries did not assist in the transport of civilians. Poland was one of the handful of countries to provide aid in the organisation of this operation, later nicknamed Operation Most . After two Polish diplomats were shot in Beirut, Lt. Col. Sławomir Petelicki was sent to Lebanon to secure the transfer of civilians and the Polish diplomatic outposts.
After his return to Poland, he presented a plan for the creation of a special military force to the Ministry of Defence; a force that would be trained in defending Polish citizens in similar situations. The idea was accepted and on July 13, 1990 the JW 2305 unit was created.
Commanders
Organisation
Sławomir Petelicki was chosen as the first commander of the newly-formed unit. As an officer specialised in far reconnaissance, sabotage and diversion, he seemed perfectly suited for creation of such a formation. He gathered around himself a group of professional officers and set about choosing soldiers that would be fit for special operations. Due to the risks involved in special service, it was decided that all men should be professional soldiers. The first group of recruits came from a variety of already-existent special units. Among others these were:
- 1st Independent Special Battallion from Lubliniec(1. Samodzielny Batalion Specjalny)
- special units of various divisions
- 6th Aeromobile Brigade (6. Brygada Desantowo-Szturmowa)
- Polish Navy divers
- Anti-terrorist units of the police
- Mechanised Warfare School in Wrocław
- Reconnaissance units of various divisions
Out of the possible recruits only a small group passed the training based on SAS experiences and the psychological tests. Many of the instructors were trained by the special forces of United Kingdom and the USA. Currently GROM is cooperating with most similar units of NATO:
For the first several years the unit remained completely secret. It was first reported to the press in 1992 and became known to the public in 1994, after their first major military operation in Haiti. Contrary to popular belief, GROM is subordinate to the Polish Ministry of Interior and not the Ministry of Defence, though it remains a part of the Polish Army.
Training
Candidates applying to serve in the GROM have to pass psychological and durability tests and the so called truth test --a physically and psychologically exhausting field test designed to filter out the weakest applicants. GROM soldiers train with the best special forces units in the world. As specialists, they are ranked with the likes of Delta Force or the SAS.
The training of GROM soldiers includes a variety of disciplines. All of them undergo specialised training in anti-terrorist and special operations, as well as scuba diving, sniping and parachute jumps. In four-man teams, each soldier must be prepared to assume the respective responsibilities of his colleagues, should it become necessary. Approximately 75% of the soldiers are trained medics or paramedics. In addition, each group is supported by several professional physicians. It is assumed that all GROM operators are proficient in at least two foreign languages.
Unlike special forces subordinate to the police, GROM is trained primarily in the elimination of terrorists rather than capture.
Known operations
External links
