OCTOBER 17, 2024 — Task Force Pegasus Troopers partnered with Polish instructors to train junior cadets at the Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis Junior Training Camp, held from Oct. 7 to 10, at the Jana Wendy Shooting Training Center in Tuchola, Poland. The camp, named in honor of fallen U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis, focused on leadership, resilience, and basic military skills for Polish teenagers aged 14 to 17.
The Troopers, assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade (1ACB), worked alongside former and current Polish Army soldiers, members of the Polish Territorial Defense Forces, French Foreign Legionnaires, and Polish police officers. Together, they guided the cadets through fundamental soldiering tasks, including reacting to contact, moving under fire, handling weapons safely, rendering battlefield first aid, and applying basic self-defense techniques.
Cadets also learned essential survival skills, such as building shelters, conducting land navigation, and – as the highlight of the camp, firing the Polish Army’s standard-issue service weapon, the FB MSBS “Grot” rifle.
“The opportunity to train with U.S. Army Soldiers is awesome,” said Cadet Sgt. Mark Tracz-Trynecki, a Polish Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps cadet. “My dream is to join the U.S. Army, so I’m having a lot of fun here.”
The hands-on training prepared cadets for potential future service while promoting personal growth through leadership and resilience. It also showcased how U.S. and Polish military traditions blend together to accomplish shared goals.
This camp further strengthened the longstanding military partnership between the United States and Poland, honoring the legacy of Staff Sgt. Ollis while fostering international cooperation.
“We do this to build relations with our allies,” said Staff Sgt. Demetris Edwards, a paralegal specialist with the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division. “It’s important to instill discipline in the Polish cadets. If we teach them how to be in the right place, at the right time, in the right uniform, they’ll succeed.”
Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis, a Staten Island, New York native, was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light), out of Fort Drum, New York. On Aug. 28, 2013, Ollis made the ultimate sacrifice while protecting Polish Army Lt. Karol Cierpica during an insurgent attack at Forward Operating Base Ghazni, Afghanistan. Ollis shielded Cierpica from a suicide bomber, saving the Polish officer’s life. For his selfless actions, Ollis was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross by the United States and the Polish Armed Forces Gold Medal, an honor reserved for foreign soldiers who have rendered exceptional service to Poland.
“I think this training is a very honorable way to remember Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis’ sacrifice, and I’m proud to wear his name on our school’s patch,” said Tracz-Trynecki.
Ollis’ legacy continues to resonate on both sides of the Atlantic. Fort Drum rededicated a weapons training center in his honor, and Camp Kosciuszko in Poland named its dining facility after him. Ollis is also inducted into the 10th Mountain Division (Light) Warrior Legend Hall of Fame, and a Staten Island ferry was named in his honor. Author Tom Sileo wrote a biography titled I Have Your Back to inspire readers with Ollis’ heroic story.
By Sgt. Jacob Nunnenkamp