GROM Military Unit (JW 2305) is a special forces unit of the Polish Armed Forces within the Polish Special Forces. The unit was officially formed on 13 July 1990 and honours the traditions of the World War II Silent Unseen paratroopers.[3][4]
GROM (Polish: Grupa Reagowania Operacyjno-Manewrowego, lit. "thunderbolt") is a special operations unit of the Polish Armed Forces within the Polish Special Forces. The unit was officially formed on 13 July 1990.[5]
By decision of the Minister of National Defence dated 4 August 1995 (Decision No. 119/MON), the unit assumed the heritage and continues the traditions of the World War II Silent Unseen paratroopers of the Home Army, adopting the corresponding honorific.[6]
In the late 1980s, following security incidents affecting Polish diplomatic missions, a concept for a dedicated special-operations formation was developed within the Ministry of Interior. On 13 July 1990 the unit was formally established as Military Unit 2305 (JW 2305).
Col. Sławomir Petelicki served as the first commander and oversaw the unit’s initial formation. The early cadre was drawn from professional soldiers with prior special-operations experience. Among these were:
The unit has trained and operated alongside allied special-operations forces as part of Poland’s NATO commitments; details of training are not publicly disclosed.
During its first years JW 2305 remained non-public. The unit became widely known in 1994 following its participation in Operation Uphold Democracy in Haiti.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, elements of JW GROM deployed to the Balkans as part of multinational efforts to detain indicted war crimes suspects and support stabilisation missions. On 27 June 1997, during Operation "Little Flower", a mixed team operating under the authority of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia apprehended Slavko Dokmanović, the former mayor of Vukovar, who was under sealed indictment; he was subsequently transferred to The Hague.[7][8]
War on Terror
Polish GROM personnel secure a section of the port of Umm Qasr, Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom
Afghanistan (2002–2004) + Persian Gulf (2002–2003)
Following the 9/11 attacks, a GROM detachment deployed to Afghanistan; the unit’s official record lists operations across the country during 2002–2004 and again in 2007–2013, including the release of more than twenty hostages, force-protection in Bagram and VIP security tasks. In parallel, from 2002 to 2003 GROM teams took part in maritime interdiction operations in the Persian Gulf, boarding vessels as part of enforcement of the UN oil embargo on Iraq.[9]
Iraq 2003: offshore oil terminals (KAAOT/ABOT)
For the 2003 invasion of Iraq, GROM formed part of the Naval Special Operations Task Group alongside U.S. Navy SEALs and SWCC. On 20 March 2003, SEAL and Polish special-forces platoons conducted simultaneous takedowns of the Khor al-Amaya (KAAOT) and Al Basrah (ABOT/MABOT) oil terminals, capturing more than 30 prisoners and securing critical infrastructure without firing a shot.[10]
Iraq 2003: Mukarayin (Mukaysin) hydroelectric dam
In early April 2003, a mixed team of GROM operators and U.S. Navy SEALs secured the Mukarayin (Mukaysin) hydroelectric power plant and dam northeast of Baghdad to prevent its sabotage and flooding of key routes.[11]
Iraq 2003–2004: post-invasion direct action
After the initial invasion phase, GROM remained in Iraq conducting special operations in Baghdad and central/northern Iraq, including raids to capture Saddam Hussein’s associates and members of al-Qaeda wanted by coalition partners.[12]
Afghanistan (2007–2013): TF-49
GROM returned to Afghanistan in 2007 as Task Force 49 under ISAF Special Operations Command, conducting direct-action missions and mentoring Afghan units. Operations included hostage-rescue missions (e.g., the 2013 release of MP Fariba Kakar), while the unit also sustained casualties in combat that year.[13]
2021 Kabul airlift
During the 2021 Kabul airlift, Polish special forces including GROM supported the evacuation via 44 flights; according to official government figures, more than 1,100 people were evacuated (including 937 Afghan partners), while international tallies put the figure at around 900 evacuees. Those airlifts also included staff of international organisations and allied governments.[14]
Training
US Navy SEALs and GROM naval warfare team practicing boarding skills near Gdańsk, Poland, 2009
Candidates for service in JW GROM undergo a multi-stage selection process that includes physical fitness tests, psychological assessment and a demanding field stage (commonly referred to in Polish sources as an "etap górski" or "truth test") designed to assess endurance, resilience and suitability for special-operations service.[15]
GROM training covers a broad range of special-operations skills. According to official materials, operators receive instruction in counter-terrorism and direct-action techniques, airborne insertion (including military parachuting), combat diving and maritime operations, marksmanship and sniper techniques, as well as medical training and close-quarters battle. Units are organised and trained to operate in small teams in which members are cross-trained to cover key roles as required.[16][17]
GROM conducts training with allied special-operations units and participates in multinational exercises. Official information indicates that the unit undertakes specialist maritime training and cooperates with partner navies for certain competencies; public accounts and unit publications further document exchanges with a range of NATO partners.[18][19]
The unit’s internal training system is organised across several specialist streams and qualification phases covering land, maritime and urban/close-quarters tasks. Open-source accounts and public descriptions of GROM’s course structure commonly refer to tactical specialisations sometimes labelled informally as "green", "blue" and "black" streams (representing field, maritime and urban/hostage-rescue specialisations respectively), but the unit’s official publications describe the system more generally as multi-stage training with specialist follow-on courses.[20][21]
Organization
Details of JW GROM’s strength and internal organisation are classified. Open-source descriptions and official publications indicate that the unit is headquartered in Warsaw (Rembertów district), where the command, staff and most support elements are located.[22]
The unit is structured into combat and support sub-units. These include:
A Squadron (Zespół Bojowy A) – a land operations element based in Warsaw,
B Squadron (Zespół Bojowy B) – a maritime element based in Gdańsk,
C Squadron (Zespół Bojowy C) – a third combat element based in Warsaw,
logistic, intelligence, communications and security sections.[23]
According to unit publications, the organisational model is broadly comparable to that of the British 22nd Special Air Service Regiment or the U.S. Army’s 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment–Delta, with small specialist teams rather than conventional platoons. The smallest operational element is typically a six-man section, grouped into teams and squadrons.[24]
Operators are trained in at least two specialties, such as communications, demolitions, sniping, combat medicine, or breaching (Method of Entry). Support personnel include analysts, EOD specialists, electronic warfare and IT technicians. The unit also fields Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs), maintains a canine section (Belgian Malinois) and has access to rotary-wing aircraft including UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters.[25]
Known operations
Most of unit's operations remain classified, the known ones are listed below. [26]
1996– UNTAES mission in eastern Slavonia, Croatia to arrest Slavko Dokmanović– they have since managed to arrest at least six more Serbian war-criminals.
1996– Security duties during US ambassador W. G Walker's mission in Kosovo and Macedonia.
1999– Security duties during US ambassador W.G Walker's mission in Kosovo and Macedonia.[26]
2001– Mission to apprehend individuals charged with war crimes in Kosovo.
2001– Reconnaissance mission in Afghanistan before the arrival of Polish troops.
2002 – 2004– Mission in Afghanistan (VIP security, base protection duties and other).
2002 – 2003– Mission in Persian Gulf. Maritime Interdiction Operations.
GROM employs a variety of uniforms and modular tactical equipment; exact issue details remain classified. In 2018 the unit awarded a contract to Polish manufacturer Direct Action (owned by Entire M) for 100 Spitfire plate carriers (ballistic plate carriers).[41] Later coverage noted that GROM selected the Spitfire as its primary plate carrier.[42] Direct Action originated within the Helikon-Tex (currently Entire M) group and evolved into an independent brand backed by Helikon-Tex’s manufacturing experience, which specializes in tactical/outdoor apparel.[43]
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