On Wednesday, December 21, at the Veterans Center in Warsaw, Mariusz Błaszczak, Deputy Prime Minister-Minister of National Defense, took part in a ceremony commemorating soldiers killed in military missions and operations outside of Poland.

The head of the Ministry of National Defense, addressing the gathered families of fallen veterans and of the ceremony’s participants, mentioned 121 soldiers who lost their lives throughout the decades of the Polish Armed Forces’ foreign missions. The names of soldiers who died in missions and military operations abroad hang on the Wall of Remembrance at the Veterans Center in Warsaw - next to the monument dedicated to their memory.

- Over 100,000 soldiers, officers and civilian employees have served abroad over the years. It was Poland's contribution to strengthening the security of our Homeland, by showing solidarity, by serving arm in arm with our allies in defense of the freedom of countries affected by the crisis.

– said Deputy Prime Minister.

December 21 is the Day of Remembrance for the Fallen and the Dead in Military Missions and Operations Abroad. On December 21, 2011, five soldiers from the 20th Bartoszyce Mechanized Brigade died on a mission in Afghanistan: Junior Warrant Officer Piotr Ciesielski, Private Marcin Szczurowski, Sgt. Lukasz Krawiec, Sgt. Marek Tomala and Sgt. Krystian Banach. It was the most tragic day in the history of Polish missions. For their bravery and courage, they were posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross of the Order of the Military Cross and the Stars of Afghanistan by the President of the Republic of Poland.

- Today, the war is taking place at the borders of Poland. Today, Ukrainians bravely face Russia, which is trying to rebuild its empire that threatens freedom in all Europe. Today, soldiers of Allied countries, mainly the United States, are stationed in Poland. I would like to thank the representatives of the families of American soldiers who gave their lives on the mission in Afghanistan for their presence. These are NATO soldiers, soldiers who are in Poland to train together with our troops, to deter the aggressor and show that Poland and Allied states of the entire NATO’s eastern flank are ready to face the possibility of invasion.

– noted the head of the Ministry of National Defence.

Deputy Prime Minister also emphasized the importance of the Polish Armed Forces’ cooperation with Allied soldiers present in Poland and significancy of the foreign missions for the safety of Poland:

- Thanks to these exercises, thanks to this presence, we show that it will not pay off for the aggressor to attack Poland. This is the system of mutual allied support. This is the whole procedure that leads us to keep the peace, to discourage the aggressor from attacking our homeland

– said Deputy Prime Minister.

Deputy Prime Minister said that it is the duty of the state to take care not only of the memory of those who gave their lives in service, but also of their loved ones:

- Hence the Veteran Center, hence the Veterans’ Act, hence everything that proves that the scale of our memory, the scale of our commitment to our security, is also measured in the suport for veterans and the families of soldiers who died on duty outside our country

– said the head of the Ministry of National Defense.

During the ceremony, the Deputy Prime Minister presented silver medals „For Merits for National Defense” to the families of the fallen soldiers.