Lieutenant Piotr Blazeusz:
Lieutenant Piotr Blazeusz, "the lucky guy who greeted president Bill Clinton at Warsaw's Castle Square in 1997," is now the lucky guy responsible for Poland's NATO contacts.
Blazeusz was the first cadet from behind the Iron Curtain to graduate from the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He competed against 80 top minds from all over the world to qualify for the studies. After four years at Colorado, he left the academy in 1996 as a distinguished graduate. Blazeusz, 28, is also proud to be the first Pole to have had a desk at the U.S. Pentagon, where he interned in the Office of the Assistant of the Secretary of Defense. After taking all possible courses, such as survival, resistance and escape training and cruising through the States in a demo team as a parachute instructor, he returned to Poland and spent two years in the famous Krakow-based commando brigade. Now he works at the Defense Ministry in the office of foreign relations. He spoke to the WBJ's Anna Kocinska about the challenges he faces as an officer responsible for contacts with NATO, about his future in the army and about his impression of the U.S. armed services. Blazeusz was careful to point out that the interview is his own opinion and does not reflect the Defense Ministry's official stance. Following is an edited version of the conversation.
Q: What's the biggest difference in the way you were trained in the United States vs. the training you received in Poland?
A: First of all there is a big difference in that they are truly professional, which means they treat it as a job whereas in our army we still have the draft. This is the main difference. And there is more room for improving yourself in the American army, making your own decisions, having more responsibility - basically, taking care of things the way you decide. What I am trying to say is what Gen. George Patton once said: 'Don't tell your people how to do things, tell them what to do and they will surprise you with ingenuity.' And this is something that is very true in the U.S. system, both military and civilian.
Q: Can't we have the same kind of training in Poland?
A: I think that my former university, the Warsaw-based Military Academy, is doing a lot to change the system. Money is the problem, though. In the United States for example, from what I was told, complete training of one cadet costs $200,000 for a four-year course. This includes a lot of things, because they have the best possible conditions for learning, developing physical fitness, improving their character, for building themselves up. On the other hand, a lot is expected from them. They have to do a lot in return. They are under constant stress, they never have enough time. So yes, they provide you with everything, an excellent gym and dorms, but at the same time they want a lot from you, and I believe it is a basic rule in business. And I am not saying that our training is bad, but it is not fully adequate with what NATO is expecting from us. We have an outstanding military tradition, but our training needs to be adjusted toward NATO requirements. It is being changed because until 1989 it was based on the Russian-style system. It will take a while.
Q: Is there a new generation in the army?
A: I believe so. However, some of us are disappointed because the situation in the military is not very stable and this is due mainly to a lot of changes in the country. You cannot separate the military from the country, from its political and economic situation. And because we are going through so many transformations, obviously the military is going to suffer as well. This (sense of instability) also applies to me. I didn't know what was going to happen to me once I graduated from the academy. This is the main problem in the military, that clear procedures haven't been worked out; we didn't set a special path for the officers. In Poland we believe that every officer should go through an 'operational line of career' which means that you serve in the unit. But I believe there should be people who obviously go through a few years' stay in the unit, but then they should be used in the area in which they were trained. The military should put them to their best use.
Q: Did you encounter some kind of barriers at work after you had returned from Colorado Springs?
A: It is my personal opinion that my skills, my contacts, could be better used by having me here and working with the foreign contacts' office as opposed to keeping me in the operational unit. Obviously, I need to know how life is there. I need to understand the military, to know how at least to command a platoon. But at the same time, I am a political scientist, so I feel better in a sort of foreign diplomacy.
Q: So, it's not only your linguistic skills that brought you here?
A: I am not just a translator here. I am mainly responsible for NATO matters, and I am trying to do my best to get our country into NATO or prepare it for accession to NATO.
Q: What is the single largest problem you see standing in the way of the Polish army integrating into NATO? Is it a language barrier or a lack of money?
A: Again it is my personal opinion and it doesn't necessarily represent the stance of the Ministry of Defense. We definitely lack some language training, although it's important to know that a lot is being done to improve the level of language training. Right now a lot of officers attend language courses, and the number of people that know at least the basics is rapidly increasing, so this should be solved within the next few years. It is not as much of a problem as it was a few years ago. But it is still a concern.
Q: What's the largest problem?
A: Maybe mentality. Maybe because of the old system junior officers are often not allowed or even are not used to making their own decisions. But it's changing. At the same time, our Non-Commission Officer (NCO) core is not the way it should be. In most armies, NCO's conduct most of the training, whereas in Poland it's still the officer who does everything. This remains from the old system. It is changing, but slowly. If you have an institution (like the military), you cannot destroy the basement and all of a sudden start building everything from scratch. The military has to provide basic defense for our country. In an institution like the military, all changes take a lot of time. It cannot happen overnight, unfortunately.
Q: Is it at all possible to reform the armed services and smoothly integrate into NATO with the existing military cadre that was trained in Moscow?
A: If they are flexible, I believe it's possible. It may be even better that they know both systems. Each country needs its own particular military establishment that is interoperable with other establishments but takes into consideration characteristics of the country - its culture, history, tradition. And in this regard I believe they could be useful.
Q: How do Americans perceive our military?
A: I think that the upper section of our military is quite good because there are a lot of officers who are doing a really good job and want to represent our country in the best possible way. I tried to do the same when I was in the United States. I knew that every cadet was looking at me and based his personal opinion about Poland and the Polish military on my behavior. I think that there are a lot of cadre members who want to reform our military.
Q: Aren't you afraid that young officers, like the pilots, will leave the army to pursue higher wages?
A: I think that the main reason for this kind of decision is a lack of stability. Another factor is - I wouldn't say low - but not high enough salaries. Also at play is a lack of planning for the future; this is something that makes a lot of officers upset. They should know that they are in this position or that position, and then they will go here or there. It is not set in stone, but they understand in the West what sort of a schedule they should follow to make a career. In Poland we need more planning for the future. Right now a lot of officers are concerned whether they are going to have enough money to survive.
Q: How much do you earn?
A: Well, it's always a touchy question. A little better than I used to earn in the unit. It is more than the average Polish salary, but less than zl. 2,000.
Q: Can you think of some funny stories from the academy?
A: One of my instructors, and he was a missile guy, told me that a few years earlier he was pointing his missiles at my country. And I told him 'Sir! Guess what, I was doing exactly the same thing (pointing our missiles at you). Not personally, but my country.' Another funny story was that when I arrived at the academy I didn't know the names of certain dishes, and at the table you were supposed to say: 'Green peas, please, Sir!' and you would pass it over, or 'French fries, please Sir.' You don't learn these things at English courses in Poland, so quite often I would say: 'Yellow stuff, please, Sir!' I had no idea what to call it, and they would laugh at me and would say I was supposed to know the menu for the whole day. And I would say: 'Yes Sir, but I don't know what it is.' So they kind of taught me the names of food for the first two months.
Q: What do you think about our future ally, the American soldier?
A: It's a very professional army, and we can learn certain things that can be useful for us. However, it's very important (to remember) that it's impossible to move one system from a certain structure, place, country, to a different place and think it's going to work in the same way. The culture is different, the history and tradition is different, the mentality of the people is different, and it affects the military because the military takes the people from the civilian population. So, there is a strong relation between the two. In my opinion, it reflects our society.
Blazeusz was the first cadet from behind the Iron Curtain to graduate from the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He competed against 80 top minds from all over the world to qualify for the studies. After four years at Colorado, he left the academy in 1996 as a distinguished graduate. Blazeusz, 28, is also proud to be the first Pole to have had a desk at the U.S. Pentagon, where he interned in the Office of the Assistant of the Secretary of Defense. After taking all possible courses, such as survival, resistance and escape training and cruising through the States in a demo team as a parachute instructor, he returned to Poland and spent two years in the famous Krakow-based commando brigade. Now he works at the Defense Ministry in the office of foreign relations. He spoke to the WBJ's Anna Kocinska about the challenges he faces as an officer responsible for contacts with NATO, about his future in the army and about his impression of the U.S. armed services. Blazeusz was careful to point out that the interview is his own opinion and does not reflect the Defense Ministry's official stance. Following is an edited version of the conversation.
Q: What's the biggest difference in the way you were trained in the United States vs. the training you received in Poland?
A: First of all there is a big difference in that they are truly professional, which means they treat it as a job whereas in our army we still have the draft. This is the main difference. And there is more room for improving yourself in the American army, making your own decisions, having more responsibility - basically, taking care of things the way you decide. What I am trying to say is what Gen. George Patton once said: 'Don't tell your people how to do things, tell them what to do and they will surprise you with ingenuity.' And this is something that is very true in the U.S. system, both military and civilian.
Q: Can't we have the same kind of training in Poland?
A: I think that my former university, the Warsaw-based Military Academy, is doing a lot to change the system. Money is the problem, though. In the United States for example, from what I was told, complete training of one cadet costs $200,000 for a four-year course. This includes a lot of things, because they have the best possible conditions for learning, developing physical fitness, improving their character, for building themselves up. On the other hand, a lot is expected from them. They have to do a lot in return. They are under constant stress, they never have enough time. So yes, they provide you with everything, an excellent gym and dorms, but at the same time they want a lot from you, and I believe it is a basic rule in business. And I am not saying that our training is bad, but it is not fully adequate with what NATO is expecting from us. We have an outstanding military tradition, but our training needs to be adjusted toward NATO requirements. It is being changed because until 1989 it was based on the Russian-style system. It will take a while.
Q: Is there a new generation in the army?
A: I believe so. However, some of us are disappointed because the situation in the military is not very stable and this is due mainly to a lot of changes in the country. You cannot separate the military from the country, from its political and economic situation. And because we are going through so many transformations, obviously the military is going to suffer as well. This (sense of instability) also applies to me. I didn't know what was going to happen to me once I graduated from the academy. This is the main problem in the military, that clear procedures haven't been worked out; we didn't set a special path for the officers. In Poland we believe that every officer should go through an 'operational line of career' which means that you serve in the unit. But I believe there should be people who obviously go through a few years' stay in the unit, but then they should be used in the area in which they were trained. The military should put them to their best use.
Q: Did you encounter some kind of barriers at work after you had returned from Colorado Springs?
A: It is my personal opinion that my skills, my contacts, could be better used by having me here and working with the foreign contacts' office as opposed to keeping me in the operational unit. Obviously, I need to know how life is there. I need to understand the military, to know how at least to command a platoon. But at the same time, I am a political scientist, so I feel better in a sort of foreign diplomacy.
Q: So, it's not only your linguistic skills that brought you here?
A: I am not just a translator here. I am mainly responsible for NATO matters, and I am trying to do my best to get our country into NATO or prepare it for accession to NATO.
Q: What is the single largest problem you see standing in the way of the Polish army integrating into NATO? Is it a language barrier or a lack of money?
A: Again it is my personal opinion and it doesn't necessarily represent the stance of the Ministry of Defense. We definitely lack some language training, although it's important to know that a lot is being done to improve the level of language training. Right now a lot of officers attend language courses, and the number of people that know at least the basics is rapidly increasing, so this should be solved within the next few years. It is not as much of a problem as it was a few years ago. But it is still a concern.
Q: What's the largest problem?
A: Maybe mentality. Maybe because of the old system junior officers are often not allowed or even are not used to making their own decisions. But it's changing. At the same time, our Non-Commission Officer (NCO) core is not the way it should be. In most armies, NCO's conduct most of the training, whereas in Poland it's still the officer who does everything. This remains from the old system. It is changing, but slowly. If you have an institution (like the military), you cannot destroy the basement and all of a sudden start building everything from scratch. The military has to provide basic defense for our country. In an institution like the military, all changes take a lot of time. It cannot happen overnight, unfortunately.
Q: Is it at all possible to reform the armed services and smoothly integrate into NATO with the existing military cadre that was trained in Moscow?
A: If they are flexible, I believe it's possible. It may be even better that they know both systems. Each country needs its own particular military establishment that is interoperable with other establishments but takes into consideration characteristics of the country - its culture, history, tradition. And in this regard I believe they could be useful.
Q: How do Americans perceive our military?
A: I think that the upper section of our military is quite good because there are a lot of officers who are doing a really good job and want to represent our country in the best possible way. I tried to do the same when I was in the United States. I knew that every cadet was looking at me and based his personal opinion about Poland and the Polish military on my behavior. I think that there are a lot of cadre members who want to reform our military.
Q: Aren't you afraid that young officers, like the pilots, will leave the army to pursue higher wages?
A: I think that the main reason for this kind of decision is a lack of stability. Another factor is - I wouldn't say low - but not high enough salaries. Also at play is a lack of planning for the future; this is something that makes a lot of officers upset. They should know that they are in this position or that position, and then they will go here or there. It is not set in stone, but they understand in the West what sort of a schedule they should follow to make a career. In Poland we need more planning for the future. Right now a lot of officers are concerned whether they are going to have enough money to survive.
Q: How much do you earn?
A: Well, it's always a touchy question. A little better than I used to earn in the unit. It is more than the average Polish salary, but less than zl. 2,000.
Q: Can you think of some funny stories from the academy?
A: One of my instructors, and he was a missile guy, told me that a few years earlier he was pointing his missiles at my country. And I told him 'Sir! Guess what, I was doing exactly the same thing (pointing our missiles at you). Not personally, but my country.' Another funny story was that when I arrived at the academy I didn't know the names of certain dishes, and at the table you were supposed to say: 'Green peas, please, Sir!' and you would pass it over, or 'French fries, please Sir.' You don't learn these things at English courses in Poland, so quite often I would say: 'Yellow stuff, please, Sir!' I had no idea what to call it, and they would laugh at me and would say I was supposed to know the menu for the whole day. And I would say: 'Yes Sir, but I don't know what it is.' So they kind of taught me the names of food for the first two months.
Q: What do you think about our future ally, the American soldier?
A: It's a very professional army, and we can learn certain things that can be useful for us. However, it's very important (to remember) that it's impossible to move one system from a certain structure, place, country, to a different place and think it's going to work in the same way. The culture is different, the history and tradition is different, the mentality of the people is different, and it affects the military because the military takes the people from the civilian population. So, there is a strong relation between the two. In my opinion, it reflects our society.
