Edward Pietrzyk
Encyclopedia
Generał broni Edward Pietrzyk (born 1949) is a Polish
military officer, diplomat and general in the Polish Army. A former commander-in-chief
of the Polish Land Forces
, he was appointed to be Poland's ambassador to Iraq in April 2007.
Pietrzyk was born on November 3, 1949 in Rawa Mazowiecka
. In 1971 he graduated from the Military University of Technology (WAT) of Warsaw
, after which he served for six years in the 2nd Artillery Brigade. In 1978 he moved to Moscow
, where he graduated from the local Military Academy of Artillery and in 1988 became the deputy commander of Polish artillery and rocket forces of the Warsaw Military Area.
In 1990, Pietrzyk graduated from the General Staff Academy of the USSR and after two years of service as the deputy chief of operations of the General Staff, he became the chief of the Operational Command of the Polish General Staff. Between 1998 and 2000 he was the deputy commander of the Multinational Corps North East
composed of forces of Poland, Czech Republic
, Denmark
, Estonia
, Germany
, Latvia
, Lithuania
and Slovakia
. Between 2000 and September 2006 he has been the commander of the Land Forces of Poland. In 2000 he also graduated from the United States Military Academy
.
Since April 2007, he has served as Polish ambassador to Iraq
.
On October 3, 2007 he was wounded by a roadside bomb
in a probable assassination attempt in Baghdad
. He was flown to a military hospital by a Blackwater Security helicopter. Pietrzyk received burns to about 20 percent of his body, including his air passage ways, and was held in an artificial coma to reduce the pain. The United Nations Security Council
convened a meeting to condemn this attack. As of November 8, he is still recovering from his injuries, but has vowed to get back to work. Since January 2010 General Pietrzyk is serving as Poland's ambassador to North Korea.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
military officer, diplomat and general in the Polish Army. A former commander-in-chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
of the Polish Land Forces
Polish Land Forces
The Polish Land Forces are a branch of Poland's Armed Forces. They currently contain some 65,000 active personnel and form many components of EU and NATO deployments around the world.-History:...
, he was appointed to be Poland's ambassador to Iraq in April 2007.
Pietrzyk was born on November 3, 1949 in Rawa Mazowiecka
Rawa Mazowiecka
Rawa Mazowiecka is a town in central Poland, with 17,765 inhabitants . It lies in the Łódź Voivodeship and is the capital of Rawa County.First mentioned in 1288, it received city rights in 1321....
. In 1971 he graduated from the Military University of Technology (WAT) of Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, after which he served for six years in the 2nd Artillery Brigade. In 1978 he moved to Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, where he graduated from the local Military Academy of Artillery and in 1988 became the deputy commander of Polish artillery and rocket forces of the Warsaw Military Area.
In 1990, Pietrzyk graduated from the General Staff Academy of the USSR and after two years of service as the deputy chief of operations of the General Staff, he became the chief of the Operational Command of the Polish General Staff. Between 1998 and 2000 he was the deputy commander of the Multinational Corps North East
Multinational Corps North East
Multinational Corps Northeast was formed on 18 September 1999 at Szczecin, Poland, which became its headquarters. It evolved from what was for many years the only multinational corps in NATO, Allied Land Forces Schleswig-Holstein and Jutland...
composed of forces of Poland, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
and Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
. Between 2000 and September 2006 he has been the commander of the Land Forces of Poland. In 2000 he also graduated from the United States Military Academy
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
.
Since April 2007, he has served as Polish ambassador to Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
.
On October 3, 2007 he was wounded by a roadside bomb
Improvised explosive device
An improvised explosive device , also known as a roadside bomb, is a homemade bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action...
in a probable assassination attempt in Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
. He was flown to a military hospital by a Blackwater Security helicopter. Pietrzyk received burns to about 20 percent of his body, including his air passage ways, and was held in an artificial coma to reduce the pain. The United Nations Security Council
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
convened a meeting to condemn this attack. As of November 8, he is still recovering from his injuries, but has vowed to get back to work. Since January 2010 General Pietrzyk is serving as Poland's ambassador to North Korea.