This spring break, ONDISC Undergraduate Fellows spent a week in Poland participating in staff rides, site visits, and meetings with military and policy leaders.
The program began in Gdańsk, where fellows conducted a staff ride focused on the Solidarity movement. Moving through Old Town, they visited St. Bridget's Church, the Monument to the Fallen Shipyard Workers of the 1970, and the European Solidarity Center. They then traveled to Westerplatte, where they examined the opening battle of the Second World War through first-person character presentation that explored the tactical, political, and human dimensions of the conflict.
From Gdańsk, fellows continued to Malbork Castle and conducted a staff ride on the Teutonic period, before visiting the Second World War Museum. The transition from Gdańsk to Warsaw allowed fellows to trace Poland's history from the origins of conflict and resistance to postwar reconstruction, and to reflect on how geography and historical experience shape national security strategy.
Midweek, fellows visited Powidz Air Base, where they toured the Amy Prepositioned Stocks facilities and met with the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade. In Warsaw, they also visited the 1st Air Base and met with senior Polish Military leadership, including the operational commander of the armed forced. These engagements provided insight into how Poland approached deterrence, readiness, alliance and cooperation within NATO.
In addition to military engagements, fellows met with the Polish Institute of International Affairs, the U.S. Embassy Defense Attaché Office, and the Center of Easter Studies. These discussions focused on NATO strategy, regional security, and Poland's role on the alliance's eastern flank, particularly in light of Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine.
The program concluded with a staff ride in Warsaw on the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943 and 1944. Fellows walked key sites across the city, including the Mila 18 area, Old Town, and the Warsaw Uprising Museum, examining the human dimension of conflict and the role these events continue to plan in Poland's national Memory.
The Poland trip reflected ONDISC's approach to combing academic study with practical experience. Fellows left Poland with a stronger understanding of how historical cases inform strategic thinking and how past conflict continue to shape today's security environment.