Illinois National Guard Chemical Unit Trains with Polish Chemical Unit in Poland

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A team of Polish and American Soldiers apply a simulated decontaminating solution with a spraying apparatus to Sgt. Matthew M. Krieger of Granite City, with the 445thChemical Company out of Shiloh.

• Sgt. Alexis Hitzeroth of Sycamore, with the 135th Chemical Operations Company out of Machesney Park, wraps Sgt. Mike Skalisius of Troy, playing a casualty, in a thermal blanket during training.
• Capt. Lukasz Krzowski, a Polish officer with the Epidemiological Response Center of the Armed Forces with Polish Land Forces explains to Soldiers how to use Polish issued protective equipment.

WARSAW, POLAND (05/20/2011)(readMedia)-- Illinois National Guardsmen and Polish Soldiers trained together on responding to a chemical attack May 19 at the Prairie Warsaw Crisis Management Exercise in Warsaw, Poland.

Since 1993 Illinois Army National Guard and Polish force have trained together as part of the State Partnership Program.

Illinois and Poland conducted exercises both in Illinois and Poland for 18 years. Polish forces and Illinois National Guard troops have deployed together in both Iraq and Afghanistan. In Afghanistan, the Illinois National deploys Soldiers with a Polish Land Force Brigade on every Polish rotation into theater.

The partnership has fostered a strong relationship between Illinois and Poland.

photo 1) U.S. Army Photo by Spc. Lisa Laughlin, 139th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment/ A team of Polish and American Soldiers apply a simulated decontaminating solution with a spraying apparatus to Sgt. Matthew M. Krieger of Granite City, a chemical operations specialist with the 445th Chemical Company out of Shiloh, while he is playing a casualty during a training exercise May 19, at the Prairie Warsaw Crisis Management Exercise in Warsaw, Poland.

photo 2) U.S. Army Photo by Spc. Lisa Laughlin, 139th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment/ Sgt. Alexis Hitzeroth of Sycamore, a chemical operations specialist with the 135th Chemical Operations Company out of Machesney Park, wraps Sgt. Mike Skalisius of Troy, a chemical operations specialist with the 135th Chem. Co. playing a casualty, in a thermal blanket during a training exercise May 19, at the Prairie/Warsaw Crisis Management Exercise, Warsaw, Poland.

photo 3) U.S. Army Photo by Spc. Lisa Laughlin, 139th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment/ Capt. Lukasz Krzowski, a Polish officer with the Epidemiological Response Center of the Armed Forces with Polish Land Forces explains to Soldiers with the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and high yield Explosive Enhanced Response Force Package, 44th Chemical Battalion out of Macomb, how to use the protective equipment employed by the Polish Army in the event of a Chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and/or high yield explosive attack May 19at the Prairie Warsaw Crisis Management Exercise, Warsaw, Poland.