The role of Polish armed forces in the fight against epidemiological threats (SARS-Cov-2)

Abstract

First, the authors will refer to the general tasks that the armed forces are faced with in connection with the epidemiological threat. Then, the tasks and areas of Polish soldiers' involvement during the fight against the pandemic will be presented. Further, the impact of the existing threat on the functioning of the armed forces will be analyzed. Finally, based on the analyses carried out, conclusions will be drawn to boost the readiness for epidemiological threats, allowing the appropriate state security level to be achieved more effectively. The appearance of SARS-Cov-2 coronavirus, causing the COVID-19 disease in Poland, was a new and unprecedented threat posing an enormous challenge to the state security management system. Therefore, the armed forces have been involved in the fight to stop the pandemic quickly and efficiently. Primarily, the services of territorial defense forces, operational forces, and cadets were relied upon. Soldiers support the health service, carry out preventive measures, and monitor and control national borders. They participate in mitigating the effects of the crisis and in strengthening the resilience of local communities. They support the activities of local government and sanitary institutions. The evolving pandemic has become a test of military units' effectiveness and readiness taking part in the fight. military units' effectiveness and readiness taking part in the fight. This allows us to draw conclusions that are significant for the armed forces' on-going operations and define future directions concerning modernization and development.