Illinois Adjutant General Visits Polish School Helped by U.S. Military

School for Visually Impaired in Krakow Was Severely Damaged by 2010 Floods

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Maj. Gen. William Enyart of Belleville visited the Krakow School for the Visually Impaired in Poland Nov. 16.

SPRINGFIELD, IL (11/21/2011)(readMedia)-- Illinois knows very well the damage flooding can inflict on communities and the Illinois National Guard has always been there to help when the waters rise.

So when Poland was hit by devastating floods in May and June 2010, Maj. Gen. William L. Enyart of Belleville, the Adjutant General of the Illinois National Guard, knew all too well what his friends in Poland were facing. Last week, Enyart got to see firsthand how the United States was able to help Poland recover from those devastating floods.

Enyart visited the School for the Visually Impaired in Krakow, Poland. The school, on the Vistula River, sustained over $300,000 in damage during the floods. U.S. European Command was able to help the school by donating school equipment, including pianos, desks, chairs and shelving declared excess by U.S. Department of Defense schools in Europe.

"The school trains the students in, among other things, music and piano tuning, so the pianos, which replaced instruments destroyed in the flood, are invaluable in the Polish students' education and training," Enyart said.

During the visit Enyart met with several local dignitaries, including the deputy governor of Malopolska Province, Mr Andrzej Harezlak; the commander of Maloposka Province fire brigades, Col. Andrzej Mroz and his deputy Col. Jozef Galica; engineering professors Jozef Danko and Rafal Danko as well as Director Barbara Planta of the AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow.

The school has a program where children write Christmas cards to Task Force White Eagle, the Polish battle group in Afghanistan. The Illinois National Guard has co-deployed on every Polish Land Forces deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Illinois National Guard has had a State Partnership Program with Poland since 1993 training, deploying and working together to teach and learn from other another.

"The single greatest contribution the Illinois National Guard can make to the long-term security of the United States is the relationship we have forged with Poland. This not only leads to a stable central Europe, but also adds a valuable ally in our long term commitment to fight terrorism and instability throughout the world," Enyart said.

Submitted photo/ Maj. Gen. William Enyart of Belleville, the Adjutant General of the Illinois National Guard visited the Krakow School for the Visually Impaired in Poland Nov. 16. The school was heavily damaged in the spring floods of 2010. U.S. European Command provided to the school equipment, including pianos, desks, chairs and shelving declared excess by DoD European schools.

Submitted photo/ Maj. Gen. William Enyart of Belleville, the Adjutant General of the Illinois National Guard visited students at the Krakow School for the Visually Impaired in Poland Nov.16 and met with U.S. military and Polish officials. The Illinois National Guard has had a State Partnership Program with Poland since 1993 training, deploying and working together to teach and learn from other another.

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