Border Guard (Poland)

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The Polish Border Guard (

The Straż Graniczna was founded in 1928. During the times of the Second Polish Republic, it was responsible for northern, western and southern border of Poland (with Germany, Free City of Danzig, sea border, Czechoslovakia and Romania). Eastern border, often raided by military bands supported by Soviet Union was under the jurisdiction of a separate, military formation (Border Protection Corps, Korpus Ochrony Pogranicza – KOP).

Responsibilities of Straż Graniczna included:

• prevention of illegal crossing of the land and sea border by people and goods (smuggling)
• ensuring safety and
  public order
  in the border area
• combat any threats to national security in the border area

Border Guard was organized in a military style, with uniformed and armed agents. It was controlled by the Ministry of Treasury, Ministry of Internal Affairs, and Ministry of Military Affairs. The highest level of organizational structure of the agency was Main Headquarters (Komenda Główna), based in

Each station of the agency was responsible for some 20 to 25 kilometers of the borderline. The stations oversaw posts of the first line and posts of the second line. In 1938, there were 129 stations of the Border Guard, 419 posts of the first line (these were located right along the border), and 212 posts of the second line (located in the interior of the country, right behind posts of the first line).

Regional inspectorates in 1939

• Mazovian Regional Inspectorate in Ciechanów,
• Pomeranian Regional Inspectorate in Bydgoszcz,
• Greater Poland Regional Inspectorate in Poznań,
• Silesian Regional Inspectorate in Katowice,
• Western Lesser Poland Regional Inspectorate in Kraków,
• Eastern
  Lwów
  .
• Agency of the Customs Inspectorate of the
  Free City of Gdańsk
  .

In late 1938 and early 1939, following changes of borders of some Eastern European countries, the Border Guard took over protection of the boundary with

Members of Straż Graniczna, under General Walerian Czuma, participated in the Second World War, fighting during the invasion of Poland together with Land Forces units.

1945–1989

During the period of the Polish People's Republic, the role of the border guards was carried out by the military formation of Border Protection Troops (Wojska Ochrony Pogranicza), being a part of the Polish People's Army and reporting directly to the Ministry of Interior, formerly under the Ministry of National Defense (from 1945 to 1949 and again from 1965 to 1970 and 1972), just as its 2nd Republic predecessors were assigned. After the martial law, border battalions were reconstructed. Battalions were re-established in Sanok, Nowy Targ, Cieszyn, Racibórz, Prudnik, Zgorzelec, Gubin, Słubice and Chojna. The organization of battalions in Nowy Sącz, Lubań Śląski and Szczecin was stopped at the stage of the backbone commands. These were later disbanded.

1990 – present

Straż Graniczna has been reestablished in the Third Polish Republic as a civil,

From 1 May 2004, the day Poland became a member of the European Union, Straż Graniczna performs its responsibility to guard and protect both the Polish and EU borders.

Structure

• Border Guard General Headquarters (Warsaw)
  • Warmińsko-Mazurski Border Guard Regional Unit (Kętrzyn)
  • Podlaski Border Guard Regional Unit (Białystok)
  • Bug Border Guard Regional Unit (Chełm)
  • Bieszczady Border Guard Regional Unit (Przemyśl)
  • Śląski Border Guard Regional Unit (Racibórz)
  • Odra Border Guard Regional Unit (Krosno Odrzańskie)
  • Sea Border Guard Regional Unit (Gdańsk)
  • Vistula Border Guard Regional Unit (Warsaw)
  • Carpathian Border Guard Regional Unit (Nowy Sącz).

Equipment

Border Wall

• Belarus–Poland border barrier

Firearms

• Mossberg 500
• 5.56×45mm
• Heckler & Koch MP5 9×19mm Parabellum
• Glock 9×19mm Parabellum
• Glock 9×19mm Parabellum
• CZ P-10 C 9×19mm Parabellum^[1]

Aircraft

• PZL-104 Wilga
• PZL M-28
• PZL M-20 Mewa
• Stemme ASP S15
• Let L-410 Turbolet^[2]

Helicopters

• PZL W-3 Sokół
• Eurocopter EC135
• PZL Kania
• Robinson R44^[3]

Vessels

• Griffon Hoverwork 2000TD
• Type SAR-1500
• SPORTIS S-7500
• Sportis S-7500K
• Type Mi-6
• Type SKS-40
• Type TM-623 OB CABIN
• Type TM-923 OB
• Type TM-1025 2IB CABIN
• Type IC 16 M III
• Type PARKER 1000 BALTIC
• Type Patrol 240 (Patrol 24 Baltic)
• Type SG-071^[4]
• Type SG-301

Notable Border Guard commanders

• Walerian Czuma

Ranks

Officers

NATO code	OF-10		OF-9		OF-8		OF-7		OF-6		OF-5		OF-4		OF-3		OF-2		OF-1						OF(D)						Student officer
Polish Border Guard v t e
							Generał dywizji		Generał brygady		Pułkownik		Podpułkownik		Major		Kapitan		Porucznik			Podporucznik									Podchorąży
Polish Border Guard Naval units v t e																															Various
							Wiceadmirał		Kontradmirał		Komandor		Komandor porucznik		Komandor podporucznik		Kapitan marynarki		Porucznik marynarki			Podporucznik marynarki									Podchorąży
Polish Border Guard Air department v t e																															Various
							Generał dywizji		Generał brygady		Pułkownik		Podpułkownik		Major		Kapitan		Porucznik			Podporucznik									Podchorąży

Enlisted

NATO code	OR-9						OR-8		OR-7		OR-6						OR-5						OR-4				OR-3		OR-2						OR-1
Polish Border Guard v t e
	Starszy chorąży sztabowy		Chorąży sztabowy		Starszy chorąży		Chorąży		Młodszy chorąży	Sierżant sztabowy	Starszy sierżant						Sierżant						Plutonowy				Kapral		Starszy szeregowy						Szeregowy
Polish Border Guard Naval units v t e
	Starszy chorąży sztabowy marynarki		Chorąży sztabowy marynarki		Starszy chorąży marynarki		Chorąży marynarki		Młodszy chorąży marynarki	Bosman sztabowy	Starszy bosman						Bosman						Bosmanmat				Mat		Starszy marynarz						Marynarz
Polish Border Guard Air department v t e
	Starszy chorąży sztabowy		Chorąży sztabowy		Starszy chorąży		Chorąży		Młodszy chorąży	Sierżant sztabowy	Starszy sierżant						Sierżant						Plutonowy				Kapral		Starszy szeregowy						Szeregowy

Gallery

• 
  PZL-104M
• 
  Kaper-2 Patrol Craft
• 
  SG-323 Patrol Craft
• 
  PZL W-3
• 
  SG-325 Patrol Craft
• 
  Quad vehicle of Border Guard
• 
  Motorboat of Border Guard
• 
  Land Rover Defender
• 
  EC 135 (P3H)

See also

• Border Protection Corps
• Border Protection Troops
• Tax and Customs Service (Poland)

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Polish Border Guard.

• Straż Graniczna Homepage in Polish