Mass. Army National Guard to deploy to Poland to 'make sure Russia goes no further'
WORCESTER — Russia's war with Ukraine was an undercurrent as dozens of National Guard troops stood at attention Sunday morning inside Alden Hall at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
The troops were ready to be officially deployed to Poland. While standing ramrod tall and gazing straight ahead in their military fatigues as family and friends looked on, their mission was made clear.
"We're going to make sure Russia goes no further,' said Maj. Gen. Gary W. Keefe, adjutant general of the Massachusetts National Guard, in his remarks to those in attendance that included Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll.
Keefe's remark was tied directly to Russia's invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago in February 2022. Russia's military continues to pound Ukraine as ceasefire talks with the Trump administration experience fits and starts.
Within a month, the roughly 70 members in the 182nd Medical Company of the Massachusetts Army National Guard will head to Poland as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve that dates back to 2014 when Russia invaded Ukraine and annexed Crimea.
Officials didn't release where the 182nd will be stationed when it lands in Poland, but the company's leader, Maj. James Hogan, said the men and women will serve in an urgent care hospital.
The 182nd Medical Company is one of the oldest medical units in the U.S. Army dating back 1888 when it was the Ambulance Corps of the 2nd Brigade of the Massachusetts Volunteer Militia.
Worcester became the unit's home in 2008 when it was designated the 182 Medical Company. It's comprised of a range of medical specialists including medics, doctors, nurses, dentists and x-ray technicians, according Hogan.
Poland is a notable destination for the 182nd because the country borders western Ukraine. Poland and other NATO members worry if Russia seizes Ukraine, then it could set it sights on additional territorial expansion.
It's a tense time in the region as a top advisor to Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said, according to reports, a red line would be crossed if Russia's expanded borders into Ukraine are recognized as part of a negotiated peace process.
Keefe noted in his speech that China and Russia are conducting joint military exercises and both partner with Iran. 'This threatens our way of life and our freedoms,' said Keefe.
Moments before he dismissed his troops, Hogan referred to the 182nd as "witch doctors," which is the established nickname because of the company's medical focus. Then it was time for the dismissed to get hugs and kisses from family and friends, while some in the 182nd held their small children in their arms.
Separation from family is an emotional part of deployment, and while officials reminded the audience that support services are in place, the reality of loved ones being away for extended durations is a tough pill to swallow.
That holds true for the Keifer family from Danvers. Sgt. Amy Keifer said it will be sad to be away from home, but 'its a good opportunity to support a good mission.'
Keifer's mother, Jennifer, admitted she cried several times during Sunday's ceremony.
'I'm praying for her and her unit,' said Jennifer Keifer. "I'll be paying attention to the United States relationship with its allies and Russia's intervention in the region."
'An unfortunate circumstance, for sure,' is how 182nd member Joseph Lords, 29, of North Andover, described the war in Ukraine. He also noted, 'It's a great opportunity to do our job."
When asked if the 182nd will get enough support as the Trump administration's policies include ending transgender military service, cutting diversity, equity and inclusion programs, and eliminating thousands of jobs at the Veterans Administration, Lords said he'll get "a lot of support' from his fellow 182nd troops.
"Excited" is how Ruth Arroyo, 22, described her feelings about going to Poland as part of the 182nd. Arroyo works as a medical technician in the emergency department at Fairview Hospital in Great Barrington.
Her parents, Luis and Rosa Arroyo, said they had mixed emotions because while they're happy their daughter is doing what she wants, they'll miss her when she's overseas.
"I feel OK," said Luis Arroyo, noting his daughter will only be a phone call away when she's in Poland.
Hogan, the 182nd commander, instilled confidence in his troops, telling them they're ready for the mission.
Driscoll also injected a sense of confidence building: "You represent the state more than anyone else can. Come home safe."
Contact Henry Schwan at henry.schwan@telegram.com. Follow him on X: @henrytelegram.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Mass. National Guard to Poland to 'make sure Russia goes no further'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry criticises Poland for establishing memorial day on Volyn tragedy
Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has criticised Poland's decision to establish a national day of remembrance for the victims of "genocide committed by the OUN [Organisation of Ukrainian Nationalists] and UPA [Ukrainian Insurgent Army] in the eastern territories of the Second Polish Republic", calling it inconsistent with the spirit of good neighbourly relations between the two countries. [The Volyn (Volhynia) tragedy was a series of events that led to the ethnic cleansing of the Polish and Ukrainian populations in 1943 during World War II. It was part of a long-standing rivalry between Ukrainians and Poles in what is now Ukraine's west. Poland considers the Volyn tragedy a genocide of Poles – ed.] Source: a statement by Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as reported by European Pravda Details: On 5 June, the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine condemned the Polish Sejm's decision to designate 11 July as a day of remembrance for the victims of "genocide committed by the OUN and UPA in the eastern territories of the Second Polish Republic". Quote: "Such unilateral steps do not contribute to achieving mutual understanding and reconciliation, which our countries have been working on for a long time, particularly in the format of the Joint Ukrainian-Polish Working Group on Historical Issues, which operates with the participation of the ministries of culture and national memory institutions from both countries." Details: The ministry emphasised that Ukraine "consistently advocates for a scientific and unbiased study of the complex pages of our shared history". Therefore, the ministry believes that the path to genuine reconciliation lies in dialogue, mutual respect, and collaborative historical research – not in unilateral political assessments. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry called on Poland "to refrain from steps that could lead to increased tension in bilateral relations and undermine the achievements gained through constructive dialogue and cooperation between Ukraine and Poland". The ministry also reminded both nations not to view each other as enemies, stressing that their common enemy is Russia. Background: In response to the mass destruction of Ukrainian monuments in Poland in 2015-2017 and the insufficient investigation of these crimes, Ukraine imposed moratoriums on the search and exhumation of the remains of Poles killed in 1943-1945 by the Ukrainian Insurgent Army. For years, the issue of exhumations has been a bone of contention in relations between Ukraine and Poland. The new Polish government, headed by Donald Tusk, put pressure on Kyiv to lift the moratorium. Warsaw even said that the resolution of historical disputes would be a prerequisite for Ukraine's accession to the EU. In late April, the exhumation of the bodies of Polish citizens who were killed in 1945 began in Ukraine's Ternopil Oblast at the site of the disappeared village of Puzhnyky. Paweł Kowal, the head of the Joint Ukrainian-Polish Working Group on Historical Issues, called this a breakthrough in bilateral relations. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
'Hurt': Ukrainians in Poland worried by rise of nationalists
For several months, Halyna Muliar watched Poland's presidential campaign from home in Poznan, worried as candidates swerved further to the right and increasingly aimed nationalist slogans at Poland's 1.5 million Ukrainians -- war refugees and economic migrants. The 58-year-old arrived in Poland weeks before Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine and recalled, with emotion, the huge solidarity from Poles when an evacuation train from her hometown of Mykolaiv arrived with her daughter and other refugees. But three years later, anti-Ukrainian rhetoric is part of mainstream Polish politics. This weekend, Poles elected as president nationalist Karol Nawrocki, who throughout his campaign questioned the rights of Ukrainians in Poland. "So much has changed," Muliar told AFP in Warsaw, where she had come from Poznan in the west to pick up a residency card. "I'm worried by everything that was said during the campaign." Nawrocki claimed Ukrainians "cause problems in hospital queues" and "should not live better than Poles", also accusing Kyiv of being ungrateful to its allies -- all arguments often used by the Polish far right. His rival, Rafal Trzaskowski, the pro-EU presidential candidate, had urged people not to give into "Russian narratives" about Ukraine. But -- in a failed bid to win far-right votes -- he still said some benefits paid out to Ukrainian refugees should be cut. For Muliar, the mood in Poland has seriously worsened. "First, it started with the documents, with the waits getting much longer," she told AFP. Many Ukrainians have experienced longer bureaucratic procedures to obtain documents legalising their presence in Poland. Then, she noticed social media was so full of anti-Ukrainian content she preferred not to open it. Before long, she was the victim of xenophobic comments in shops "to which I just close my eyes". She is not alone. Ukrainians in Warsaw who AFP spoke to -- refugees and migrants who have been living in Poland for years -- were alarmed by the unprecedented hard-right tone of the campaign. "The damage has been done," said Olena Babakova, a longtime observer of Polish-Ukrainian relations and of Poland's Ukrainian community. - 'Took away hope' - While the theme of migrants has dominated election campaigns in the conservative Catholic country for years, Babakova said this "for the first time became strictly directed against Ukrainians". Nationalist Nawrocki has often raised 20th-century grievances between Poland and Ukraine. The pro-EU camp also flirted with that rhetoric, which Babakova said "took away hope". She predicted the people worst affected by the trend would be Ukrainians working in the service sector -- mostly women who have the most contact with Poles and "paradoxically, really want to integrate in Polish society". Olga Klymenko is one of them. She is one of the one million Ukrainian refugees in Poland and works in a hotel. She fled Russian occupation in 2022, escaping Ukraine's city of Izyum under fire through Russia before obtaining asylum in Poland. "It hurts and worries me," she told AFP. "It's hard to know what tomorrow will bring." Like many, she worries about her status in Poland. There is much uncertainty among refugees over the future of legalisation processes. "My house is destroyed. If there is some pressure from Poland, I have nowhere to return to," Klymenko explained. Se said she was waiting to see what kind of president Nawrocki would turn out to be. The role of head of state is largely ceremonial in Poland but the president can veto government law. Nawrocki's victory has boosted the chances of a far-right win in the 2027 parliamentary elections. "If there are some laws and the president's programme is not in favour of Ukrainians, then I don't know what we'll do," Klymenko said. - 'From the top' - Poland's economy and ageing population are heavily reliant on a Ukrainian workforce. But Ukrainians who have been living in Poland for years have also been unnerved by the election campaign. Yulia Melnyk, who has been in Warsaw for seven years, was convinced the negative sentiment had been whipped up "from the top". "It's convenient for politicians to use this kind of topic," the transport worker said. She said she had seen "a lot of hate" on the internet but not, so far, "in real life". But she admitted: "I am worried, and my family in Ukraine is worried that there will be hate towards Ukraine from the authorities themselves." Ukrainian cook Serhiy, who has lived in Warsaw for six years, hoped the rhetoric was limited to a heated pre-election period. The 28-year-old is also waiting to see what Nawrocki would be like in power. "I hope he will focus less on populism and more on real problems," he said. oc/mmp/giv
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
BBC tells parents: Speak to your child in mother tongue before English
BBC parenting advice tells families to speak to children in their mother tongue before using English. The broadcaster has launched a new service, called CBeebies Parenting, to support families raising young children. It offers advice on subjects such as buying nappies, reading bedtime stories, cooking meals , and accessing child benefit payments. And its advice on developing language skills urges parents to use their preferred language before English. In an instructional video, Monal Gajjar, a speech and language therapist, says: 'Generally, we encourage parents to talk to their child in the language they are most competent in, their social language. 'So if Bengali is your home language, then use that language with your children.' Ms Gajjar explains that this will help the children build a relationship with their family, and provide a solid foundation for 'an additional language, such as English'. The BBC material explains that it 'is increasingly common for one parent to speak one language and another parent to speak another language' and for them to use 'a common language such as English … to interact with each other'. Additional videos offer insights into introducing children to speaking Polish, Urdu, Punjabi and Gujarati. The launch of this material on the CBeebies Parenting website comes after the 2021 census revealed that 8.9 per cent of people in England and Wales speak a language other than English as their main language. It also comes amid concerns that too many migrants do not have a good grasp of English. Last month, Sir Keir Starmer unveiled plans to make sure migrants speak fluent English if they want to remain in Britain. The level of English required is to be raised from the equivalent of GCSE to the equivalent of A Level. The BBC's guidance takes into account increased levels of bilingualism. Case studies are offered in a Parenting Life section that cover 'raising a multicultural, multilingual child' and 'LGBTQ+ adoption'. Advice is offered on how to create meals on a tight budget, and how to manage screen time for young children, noting that 'there can be benefits to your child's screen time'. The BBC will also offer a Cbeebies Parenting WhatsApp service which parents can contact for advice Patricia Hidalgo, the BBC director of children's and education, said: 'We know parents and carers love the support they get from CBeebies as a safe space for their small children to learn through play. 'And we also know becoming a parent can be an overwhelming time when it comes to finding the right advice. 'So, we wanted to help parents and carers to find expert advice and support in one place from when they are parents-to-be, right through to when their little ones are starting school. We have everything they need to build the virtual village it takes to raise a child.' CBeebies Parenting will offer a Parenting Helpline podcast hosted by celebrity parents Holly Hagan-Blyth, known for starring in Geordie Shore, and Charlie Hedges. Videos on the CBeebies Parenting site include a number of testimonials from other celebrities, including Joe Wicks and Dani Dyer, talking through their approach to raising children. In September, Baroness Benjamin, who as Floella Benjamin pioneered BBC children's TV, will guest star in a new title for youngsters, CBeebies House. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
