Tadeusz Buk
Encyclopedia
Tadeusz Buk was a Polish
military figure. He received numerous military and civil awards, including the Order of Polonia Restituta.
Buk was born at Mójcza
. He served as Commander of the Polish Land Forces
until his death in the 2010 Polish Air Force Tu-154 crash
near Smolensk
.
. In 1984 he graduated from the Academy of Armed Forces Officers in Poznań
.
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 figure. He received numerous military and civil awards, including the Order of Polonia Restituta.
Buk was born at Mójcza
Mójcza
Mójcza is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Daleszyce, within Kielce County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, in south-central Poland. It lies approximately north-west of Daleszyce and south-east of the regional capital Kielce....
. He served as Commander 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:...
until his death in the 2010 Polish Air Force Tu-154 crash
2010 Polish Air Force Tu-154 crash
The 2010 Polish Air Force Tu-154 crash occurred on 10 April 2010, when a Tupolev Tu-154M aircraft of the Polish Air Force crashed near the city of Smolensk, Russia, killing all 96 people on board...
near Smolensk
Smolensk
Smolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River. Situated west-southwest of Moscow, this walled city was destroyed several times throughout its long history since it was on the invasion routes of both Napoleon and Hitler. Today, Smolensk...
.
Education
Buk graduated from Juliusz Słowacki high school in KielceKielce
Kielce ) is a city in central Poland with 204,891 inhabitants . It is also the capital city of the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship since 1999, previously in Kielce Voivodeship...
. In 1984 he graduated from the Academy of Armed Forces Officers in Poznań
Poznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
.
Military service
- In 1984, he joined the 29th Medium Tank Regiment in ŻagańZaganZagan may refer to:*Zagan - a demon in the Ars Goetia*Żagań - a town in west Poland...
and served in this unit until 1991. - In 1991 he enrolled at the Faculty of Land Forces of the National Defence Academy in WarsawWarsawWarsaw 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...
. - Between 1993 and 1995 he served, inter alia, in the 18th Battalion Airborne assault and 6 Air Assault Brigade.
- From 1995 to 1998, he served in the 25th Air Cavalry Brigade in Tomaszów Mazowiecki.
- In 1999, after completing the annual post-graduate command post in the USA, he was appointed deputy commander of his unit.
- From 2002 to 2005 he served as commander of the 34rd Armoured Cavalry Brigade in Zagan.
- In 2004 and 2005 he was deputy commander of Multinational Division Central-SouthMultinational Division Central-SouthMultinational Division Central-South , created in September 2003, and supported by NATO, was a part of the Multinational Force Iraq. Headquartered in Camp Echo, it was under Polish command until October 2008, when the last of Poland's troops were withdrawn. Polish contingent was its largest...
in IraqIraqIraq ; 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....
. - Between 2005 and 2006 he was deputy director of the NATO Joint Force Training CentreJoint Force Training CentreThe Joint Force Training Centre is a NATO headquarters located in Bydgoszcz, Poland, responsible to Allied Command Transformation at Norfolk, Virginia, in the United States. The Joint Force Training Centre, started on March 31, 2004, focuses on joint and combined training at the tactical level...
in Bydgoszcz. - From 2006 to 2007 he was Deputy Commanding General of the Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan.
- On 15 June 2007, Buk was appointed commander of 1st Mechanised Division1st Mechanised Division (Poland)The 1st "Warsaw" Mechanised Division was a mechanized infantry formation of the Polish Land Forces that existed from 1955 until September 1, 2011. During this entire period, the division was headquartered in Legionowo...
of Warsaw. - On 25 July 2007, he took command of the IX amendment NEC and Multinational Division Center-South in Iraq
- On 15 September 2009 he was appointed by President Lech KaczynskiLech KaczynskiLech Aleksander Kaczyński was Polish lawyer and politician who served as the President of Poland from 2005 until 2010 and as Mayor of Warsaw from 2002 until 22 December 2005. Before he became a president, he was also a member of the party Prawo i Sprawiedliwość...
to commander of the Army. - On 10 April 2010, he died in the presidential plane crash near SmolenskSmolenskSmolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River. Situated west-southwest of Moscow, this walled city was destroyed several times throughout its long history since it was on the invasion routes of both Napoleon and Hitler. Today, Smolensk...
.
Awards
- Commander's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (2010, posthumously)
- Commander's Cross of the Order of the Military CrossOrder of the Military CrossThe Order of the Military Cross is a Polish order established on October 18, 2006. It is awarded for "distinguished service, sacrifice, and courage in actions against terrorism in the country or during foreign deployments of the Polish Armed Forces in times of peace."- Classes :The Order has three...
(2008) - Silver Cross of Merit.
- Bronze Cross of Merit.
- Silver Medal in the Service of the Armed Forces of the FatherlandMedal of the Armed Forces in the Service of the FatherlandThe Medal of the Armed Forces in the Service of the Fatherland is a Polish military decoration, awarded for long service and excellent work in the army. The medal was first established on 26 May 1951, although the detailed rules and grades were revised 1991 and 1995...
. - Silver Medal for his contribution to national defence.
- National Defense Service MedalNational Defense Service MedalThe National Defense Service Medal is a military service medal of the United States military originally commissioned by President Dwight D. Eisenhower...
(US) - Commemorative medal of the Multinational Division Central-South.
- Badge of Merit for the Polish Veterans' Association and Former Political Prisoners" (2008)
Military promotions
- 15 August 2004: promoted to the rank of Brigadier General.
- 10 July 2007: promoted to the rank of Major General.