Celebration of the 11th anniversary of the Smolensk disaster [FOTO]

Anniversary celebrations with the participation of a small honorary assistance began at exactly 08:41 pm at the municipal cemetery in Banin, where the remains of the late admiral of the fleet of Andrzej Karweta rest. On the grave of a tragically deceased Naval commander, a delegation of sailors laid a bundle of flowers and lit candles.

On behalf of the Minister of National Defence, Mr.Mariusz Błaszczak and their own sailors exhibited symbolic honorary posts, laid bonds and lit candles on the graves of the victims of the plane crash Tu-154M near Smolensk: the late marshal of the Polish Parliament Maciej Płażyński in the Mariacka Basilica, as well as the late Anna Walentynowicz, the late Arkadiusz Rybicki and late Leszek Solski – at the Gdańsk cemetery Srebrzysko. The celebrations commemorating the 11th anniversary of the Smolensk disaster ended with the laying of flowers under the memorial plate of the late admiral of the fleet Andrzej Karweta at the building of the former Naval Command and at the Marine Basilica in Gdynia.

W.P. ADMIRAL FLOTTE ANDRZA CARWET Naval Commander of the Republic of Poland (2007 – 2010)

Fleet Admiral Andrzej KARWETA was born on 11 June 1958 in Jaworzno, Silesian Voivodeship. In 1977, after graduating from Stanislaw Staszic High School in Chrzanów, he began his studies at the Higher School of the Navy in Gdynia, Faculty of Command. After graduating and receiving a master's degree in navigation, he was assigned to service on trawlers in the 13th Fleet of Coast Defence in Hel. In 1986, he took command of his first ORP Czapla ship, with which he won the title of Best Ship of the 9th FOW in 1987 and 88. His career involved with the 206F project trawlers. From 1989 to 1992, he commanded a tactical group and a Seagull ORP ship. In 1992, he completed post-graduate operational-tactic studies in command and relay direction at the Naval Academy in Gdynia, and then began to serve as Chief of Staff of the 13th trawlers division.

From 1996 to 2002, he commanded the 13th Trooper Squadron. They were groundbreaking years for this squadron. It was then that the 206F trawlers were undergoing a thorough modernization and were prepared for service within the North Atlantic Alliance already as destroyers of mines. Since 2002, these ships have permanently begun their service in NATO, and the mine destroyer ORP Mewa, whom ten years earlier commanded by fleet admiral Andrzej Karweta, has passed into history as the first Polish ship to raise the flag of the North Atlantic Alliance. The entry into the service of mine destroyers of the 206FM project opened new opportunities for international activities of the Polish Navy. Also, the career of Admiral of the fleet Andrzej Karweta was guided by international tracks. Even in 2000, he commanded a multinational team of trawlers during the "Baltops" exercise. He successfully managed the activities of units from Estonia, Latvia, Poland and Great Britain. In 2002, fleet admiral Andrzej Karweta completed almost 20 years of service in 13. Trooper Squadrons. He was directed to work in the NATO SACLANT Marine Force Command in Norfolk (Virginia, USA), where he combined the duties of the Polish National Military Representative at HQ SACLANT and Deputy Head of the Underwater Weapons Branch. In 2003, after the dissolution of SACLANT, he was appointed as the National Liaison Representative at the newly formed ACT Transformation Command in Norfolk. After finishing his three-year service in NATO Command, he returned to the country and assumed the duties of deputy commander of the 8th Coast Defence Fleet in Świnoujście. In 2006 zost

From 1996 to 2002, he commanded the 13th Trooper Squadron. They were groundbreaking years for this squadron. It was then that the 206F trawlers were undergoing a thorough modernization and were prepared for service within the North Atlantic Alliance already as destroyers of mines. Since 2002, these ships have permanently begun their service in NATO, and the mine destroyer ORP Mewa, whom ten years earlier commanded by fleet admiral Andrzej Karweta, has passed into history as the first Polish ship to raise the flag of the North Atlantic Alliance. The entry into the service of mine destroyers of the 206FM project opened new opportunities for international activities of the Polish Navy. Also, the career of Admiral of the fleet Andrzej Karweta was guided by international tracks. Even in 2000, he commanded a multinational team of trawlers during the "Baltops" exercise. He successfully managed the activities of units from Estonia, Latvia, Poland and Great Britain. In 2002, fleet admiral Andrzej Karweta completed almost 20 years of service in 13. Trooper Squadrons. He was directed to work in the NATO SACLANT Marine Force Command in Norfolk (Virginia, USA), where he combined the duties of the Polish National Military Representative at HQ SACLANT and Deputy Head of the Underwater Weapons Branch. In 2003, after the dissolution of SACLANT, he was appointed as the National Liaison Representative at the newly formed ACT Transformation Command in Norfolk. After finishing his three-year service in NATO Command, he returned to the country and assumed the duties of deputy commander of the 8th Coast Defence Fleet in Świnoujście. In 2006 zost

Fleet admiral Andrzej Karweta listened to people, was open to new solutions. He liked to surround himself with experts. As his direct subordinates admit, he was not a conflict person. On the contrary, he could smooth out any dispute, even turn any argument into a constructive discussion. He used to say, "You don't tell me what's good. You tell me what can be improved." He loved only his family more than the Navy.

By Order No 112-8-2010 of 15 April 2010, Marshal of the Sejm Bronisław Komorowski, performing duties as President of the Republic of Poland posthumously appointed the tragically deceased Commander of the Navy as Admiral of the fleet.

Fleet admiral Andrzej Karweta for his service was distinguished many times. Among his awards are, among others, the Golden Medal of Armed Forces in Homeland Service (2006), the Golden Medal of Merit for National Defence (1999), the Silver Cross of Merit (2005). On April 16, 2010, Bronisław Komorowski, acting as President of the Republic of Poland, awarded the Admiral of the Fleet of Andrzej Karweta with the Commander's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta.

Fleet Admiral Andrzej Karweta commanded Polish naval forces until the tragic day of April 10, 2010.

Photo by Michał Pietrzak/3. FO

Signature: Press Section 3. FO