On November 18, on a frigid day at the Nowa Dęba training area in southeastern Poland, we recognized fifteen of our finest American and Allied leaders and warriors. Among them were three young soldiers. We stood shoulder to shoulder with their team and their SGT Stout Stryker crew of the 10th AAMDC’s 52nd Air Defense Brigade and 5-4 Battalion.
Every one of these Champions is a leader. They are the first line of defense, building and manning the Eastern Flank Deterrence Line that keeps our NATO nations safe. They are the best of the best.
Congratulations to our 2025 EFDL Champions in Poland!
Senior Leaders
1. BG Curtis King
• Senior U.S. air defense officer in Europe who galvanized senior-level coordination with Poland, securing full support and alignment for the inaugural Train-the-Trainer course.
2. BG Bogdan Pidanty
• Key intermediary to the Polish CHOD, enabling seamless cooperation between Poland, 10 AAMDC, ARMA, and USAREUR-AF throughout planning and execution.
3. COL Robert Jusinski
• Drove Polish air and missile defense, spectrum, and logistics integration—essential to successful T3 operations at Lipa.
4. MAJ Benjamin Bowman
• The driving force behind DV Day; 10 AAMDC’s lead for Train-the-Trainer and Eastern Sentry synchronization.
U.S. Trainees
5. CPT Justin Atkins
• Lead narrator today and architect of the operator training program for 7 ATC and USAREUR-AF; set the foundation for future coalition instruction.
6. SFC Andreski
• Rock-solid NCO and voice of reason—brought humor, professionalism, and steady leadership while shaping the USAREUR-AF operator course.
7. SGT Riley Herner
• Natural Surveyor pilot with an exceptional attitude; team-first mentality and expert parachute packer.
8. SPC Anthony Pasillas
• Hard-charging junior Soldier who learned to fly quickly and hustled nonstop to retrieve drones during live training.
Poland
9. PPOR (OF-1) Mateusz Wróblewski
• Integral to Polish coordination for training and DV Day execution; a standout performer responsible for equipment and Polish Soldiers during training.
10. St.kpr Wojciech Dźwigaj
• Exemplified professionalism—positive attitude, quick learner, and invaluable support to logistics coordination.
Romania
11. Plutonier-adjutant principal Sucio Felix (OR-9 / U.S. SGM-CSM equivalent)
• Senior Romanian enlisted leader who represented his nation with distinction during training.
12. 1LT Thomas Gabriele
• Executed the first system inventory of its kind in the regular U.S. Army; signed for the equipment, transferred it to the Polish Army, and maintained seamless coordination with Project Eagle, POLLOGHUB, and USAREUR-AF during a highly dynamic process.
5-4 U.S. Army Air Defense Artillery Battalion
13. GT David Moreno
14. SSG Michael Perkins
15. SPC Hunter Hickman
Winners Associate with Winners to Win!
