5 Two colonels from different armies first met at Forward Operating Site (FOS) Bemowo Piskie Training Area (BPTA), Poland, on March 4, 2021, not knowing that their first key leader engagement would lead to an unexpected reunion.
When U.S. Army Col. Ricardo Roig, commander of the Florida Guard’s 50th Regional Support Group (RSG), introduced himself to Polish army Col. Wojciech Grzybowski, 24th Garrison Support Unit commander, they didn’t discuss business. Still, this first meeting was important to their countries’ mutual interests.
Once Soldiers become senior leaders, the role of diplomat becomes a big part of their jobs, particularly when working with international allies and partners in a deployed environment. While chatting over coffee might seem like a trivial interaction, it actually serves an important function to senior leaders in establishing a rapport with each other.