Last weekend, we were invited at the Umbrella Protection shooting range in Gąsawy Rządowe near Szydłowiec (Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship), where advanced exercises of the Silesian Tactical and Shooting Association STS - Poligon 24 took place. It was the first training of members of the association organized at large training grounds, who thus verified their skills previously acquired in regular, separate training courses. The shooting range operated by STS does not offer as many possibilities as the Umbrella Protection facility, where on Sunday all elements of the training could be combined into a continuous scenario from an ambush, breaking contact, providing assistance to the wounded and their evacuation, through reconnaissance and moving on to a counterattack with the support of snipers and a light machine gun firing position. The day before, on Saturday, there were classes on the elements of the Sunday scenario, i.e. the basics of TCCC, navigation, radio communication, field rifle shooting exercises (including the elimination of a bunker) and the operation and shooting of a PK machine gun. All participants were expected to wear full loadouts: bulletproof vests, helmets and patrol backpacks, which was a bit of a challenge due to the strong sun throughout the classes, from early morning to evening.
The STS Tactical and Shooting Association was established a few years ago on the initiative of people with a passion for military tactics. According to Edi, the main organizer, initially it was a group of friends involved in airsoft and paintball. However, they treated the replicas as weapon replicas that were props for tactical exercises. Current leaders and instructors from various uniformed services have completed hundreds of hours of training in tactics, shooting and battlefield medicine. They are also certified sports and tactical shooting instructors.
On a daily basis, STS organizes monthly meetings and workshops, which are mandatory for members of the association, during which broadly understood tactics of operation at the platoon level are discussed. Various additional activities, meetings and presentations are also organized. Qualified instructors associated with STS also cooperate with young people from secondary schools in Jastrzębie and Żory, conducting mandatory shooting training as part of the Education for Safety (EDB) subject. In addition, they are involved in comprehensive preparation of students for competitions such as "Fit as Soldiers" and Defensive Doubles, supporting the development of their defense and sports skills.
There are currently 35 members of STS, 30 of whom are actively involved. The organization brings together people with Polish citizenship who meet certain requirements and share a passion for tactical shooting. The training is often physically demanding, as I saw personally when taking part in the training part of Poligon 24, so motivation and commitment are key. The association is also open to women, who, as could be observed during the weekend, are doing very well on par with their colleagues from the association.
"We only recruit people we know personally. Each member can bring a friend, who we then verify", said Edi in an interview. "New candidates undergo a one-year trial period, during which we observe their commitment and skills. We expect candidates to be physically and mentally healthy, have appropriate qualifications, be available and committed" - he adds.
The 24 STS training ground is intended to be a annual event. We would like to thank the Tactical and Shooting Association for the invitation and the opportunity to participate in the event.
A commemorative photo together at the end.
