By marching, they had to cross almost 50 km in 30 hours at minus temperature. They shot day and night, climbed, crossed the water barrier in the bomb boat, with only minimal water and food resources available. Teenagers from military advanced schools dared to face the Fenix Survival. The utmost test proved to be a real challenge.
Military Preparation Divisions (OPW) is simply a peculiar expression of classes in secondary schools, where teenagers learn the basics of militaryism. The curriculum was developed in agreement with the Ministry of Defence. The school conducts theoretical classes, while the military unit cooperating with it is liable for the practices organised for students. However, any facilities go beyond the required minimum, preparing additional training and even utmost challenges for their subjects.
An example of specified an institution, or alternatively a full network of secondary schools, is Center for Business and discipline (CN-B) Phoenix. In 14 advanced schools, almost 2,000 students are taught to participate in endurance camps, train from shooting, parachuting, diving, etc. In Phoenix advanced school, we focus on applicable classes. This allows us to make full usage of the modern equipment we bought as equipment for our schools. Cadets can usage modern shooting trainers, professional night imagination and thermal imaging equipment – mentioned Colonel Jarosław Chrobot, manager General of the Phoenix Uniforms. The last example of specified applicable activities, during which students utilized modern equipment, is the Feniks Survival, an utmost test of physical and intellectual endurance.
The training took place in early January in Ciechanów. At the start there were 24 cadets of volunteers from the discipline and Business Centre advanced schools from Ciechanov and Pultusk. The inspiration for the organizers of the “Fenix Survival” was the preselection prepared by the Youth Military Section of the Union of Polish Spadochronists under the slogan “Snieżec”. – First, we assumed that only those who aspired to March “Snowżyka” would participate in “Feniksa”. However, in order to increase competition and rise the level of competition, the organizers allowed volunteers from the Schools of the discipline and Business Centre: 1st advanced School of Polish Spadochronists in Ciechanów and 1st advanced School of the 13th Infantry Regiment in Pułtusek – explains Mariusz Gierula, specialist for the improvement of CN-B Phoenix. Both first graders (15 years old) and elder year students (19 years old) could compete.
During the utmost test, teenagers had to cross a 48-kilometre tour in about 30 hours. On the way there were many waiting for them SERE-related tasks (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape – survival, avoidance, opposition in captivity and escape), but not only. At first, each associate deposited a mobile telephone and was “baptized” with a five-digit number that had since replaced his name. Food rations and water were kept to a minimum and were spent all 8 hours. This was an additional difficulty due to the fact that the meals were in a vehicle that had to be virtually caught up during the march.
During the march, cadets fired from pneumatic weapons, during the day utilizing moving telescopes, and after dark thermo- and night imagination sights. This was, by the way, the first test of this kind of instrument that Phoenix schools bought last year. Students besides had to climb utilizing basic mountaineering equipment, find the coordinates of the designated places, find the azimut, utilizing military maps, train memory by remembering details, and even learn to recite from memory... Mickiewicz’s “Reduta Ordon”.
On the second day, after just a two-hour remainder (2–4 in the night), the students arrived at the water bath “Krubin” in Ciechanów. There, 1 of the top attractions of the training was waiting for them. Under the supervision of soldiers from the bomb squad of the 5th Mazovian Territorial Defence Brigade, cadets prepared and armed a flat-decker bomb boat. Then they utilized it to overcome the water barrier. – Water competitions lasted about 3 hours and aroused many emotions. In addition, they added energy to the last task of a 10-kilometre march to the last goal – Gierula reports.
However, the second episode was defeated by few, as only 4 boys and 1 girl checked in from 24 students at the finish line. All 5 received recommendations and the chance to launch in "Camp Sněžice" (for participants aged 16-17) and "Snow" (18 years).
Why did 80% of the participants fail? Cadets fell out at different stages. The reason wasn't always to neglect a job. As the organizers emphasize, the training had to first of all show character, will to fight and follow the rules established at the beginning. The majority of participants who did not scope the finish line resigned themselves, explaining their decision with inadequate equipment selection (the classes were held at temperatures from O to -4oC) or insufficient physical preparation.
The Feniks endurance was prepared by St. Sergeant. Adam Pytl, Feniks advanced school instructor, 5 MBOT soldier, associate in many stabilization missions. He was supported by graduates and students of the 1st National advanced School CN-B of Polish Spadochronists in Ciechanów. besides colleagues from the Ciechanów brigade, which thanks to the RDP program has supported pupils of the Phoenix uniform classes for years. He conducts classes during which they can train utilizing specialized military equipment (vehicles, boats, tents, individual equipment, logistics security).
– Our utmost test was very interesting. Its participants are waiting for another edition – says Sgt. Sgt. Adam Pytel. “We hope that the Feniks endurance will become a permanent part of the school curriculum of the Feniks discipline and Business Centre, and the level of training of participants will be higher and higher,” added the instructor.
