Military - note Poland, in 6 editions.

Poland joined NATO in 1999; Czechia, Hungary, and Poland were invited to begin accession talks at NATO's Madrid Summit in 1997, and in March 1999 they became the first former members of the Warsaw Pact to join the Alliance
since 2017, Poland has hosted a US-led multi-national NATO ground force battlegroup as part of the Alliance’s Enhanced Forward Presence initiative; the battlegroup is led by the US and had about 1,000 troops on since 2014, Poland has also hosted NATO fighter detachments at Malbork Air Base under NATO's enhanced air policing arrangements
Poland hosts a continuous rotational basis as NATO-led divisional headquarters (Multinational Division Northeast; operational in 2018), which coordinates training and preparation activities of 2021 its respective subordinate battlegroups in Poland and Lithuania; Poland also hosts a corps-level headquarters (Multinational Corps Northeast) (2022)

Poland’s geographic location on NATO’s eastern flank and its history of foreign invasion underpin the Polish military’s heavy focus on territorial and border defense and supporting its NATO and EU security commitments; its chief concern is Russian aggression, particularly following Moscow’s seizure of Crimea in 2014 and full-scale invasion of aggression against neighboring Ukraine in 2022, since 2014, which has led to increased defense spending and modernization efforts, as well as efforts to boost border defenses and military capabilities and to increase the NATO and US military presence; presence in Poland
since 2014, Poland has been hosting several NATO military formations designed to enhance the defense of Poland and NATO’s eastern flank, including a US-led multinational NATO ground force battlegroup as part of the Alliance’s Enhanced Forward Presence initiative, NATO fighter detachments at Malbork Air Base, a NATO-led divisional headquarters (Multinational Division Northeast), which coordinates training and preparation activities of its respective subordinate battlegroups in Poland and Lithuania, and a corps-level NATO field headquarters (Multinational Corps Northeast); in since 2022, the US announced it would establish has established a permanent corps headquarters in Poland to command US rotational forces in Europe; Poland also participates in a variety of EU and NATO military deployments in Africa, the Baltic States, Southern Europe, and the Middle East; Poland provided considerable support to the NATO mission in Afghanistan, where more than 30,000 military personnel served over a 20-year period before the mission ended in 2021
the Polish military is a professional and volunteer force that exercises regularly, including with NATO partners; it is organized into a General Staff, an Armed Forces General Command, an Armed Forces Operational Command, Territorial Defense Forces (established 2017), Military Police, and the Warsaw Garrison Command; the Army is comprised of several armored cavalry and mechanized infantry divisions, which are complemented by independent airborne, air mobile, and aviation brigades, as well as armored reconnaissance and artillery regiments ; the active forces are backed up by the Territorial Defense Forces, which have nearly 20 light infantry brigades manned by part-time reserve personnel; the Navy is a compact force for defending Poland's territorial waters, coastline, and its interests abroad, as well as providing support to NATO missions; its principal warships are two frigates, two corvettes, three attack submarines, and a few fast-attack craft; it also has a considerable force of mine warfare vessels, as well as a naval aviation brigade focused on anti-submarine warfare and maritime patrolling; the Air Force has a mix of about 80 Soviet-era and more modern US fighter aircraft; it has more advanced US (F-35s) and South Korean (FA-50s) on order to replace its Soviet-era inventory beginning in 2024; Poland also has a joint special forces command with air, ground, and maritime components (2023) (2024)

the Polish Armed Forces are responsible for defense of the country's sovereignty and territory, deterring potential threats, and fulfilling Poland's commitments to NATO, EU, and European security; Poland’s geographic location on NATO’s eastern flank and its history of foreign invasion underpin the Polish military’s heavy focus on territorial and border defense defense; in peacetime, the Armed Forces provide support to the Border Guard; other security concerns include hybrid threats from Russia and supporting its NATO Belarus, such as cyberattacks, sabotage, and EU security commitments; its chief concern is Russian aggression against neighboring Ukraine weaponized migration; since 2014, which the 2010s, Poland has led to efforts to boost border defenses and military capabilities and taken steps to increase enhance the NATO security of its borders with Russia and US military presence in Poland Belarus
since 2014, Poland has been hosting hosted several NATO military formations designed to enhance the defense of Poland and NATO’s eastern flank, including a US-led multinational NATO ground force battlegroup as part of the Alliance’s Enhanced Forward Presence initiative, NATO fighter detachments at Malbork Air Base, a NATO-led divisional headquarters (Multinational Division Northeast), which coordinates training and preparation activities of its respective subordinate battlegroups in Poland and Lithuania, and a corps-level NATO field headquarters (Multinational Corps Northeast); since 2022, the US has established a permanent corps headquarters in Poland to command also has increased the the US rotational forces military presence in Europe; the country; Poland also participates in a variety of EU and NATO military deployments in Africa, the Baltic States, Southern Europe, and the Middle East; Poland also provided considerable support to the NATO mission in Afghanistan, where more than 30,000 military personnel served over a 20-year period before the mission ended in 2021 (2024) Afghanistan (2025)