16th Air Force and Polish Cyber Command reaffirm commitment to collective cyber defense

  • Published
  • By Rabia Coombs
JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO – LACKLAND, Texas --  Sixteenth Air Force (Air Forces Cyber) and Poland Cyber Command reinforced the strength of the strong U.S. – Poland cyber alliance during a technical exchange, key leader engagement and award ceremony, underscoring the two commands’ unified resolve to deter and defeat malicious cyber actors, Dec. 8-10.

The engagement highlighted the expanding cooperation between 16th Air Force, the Air Force’s Cyber component, and the Poland Cyber Command emphasizing that robust alliances serve as critical deterrent against adversaries seeking to compromise our networks, critical infrastructure and military operations.

During the visit, the commander of 16th Air Force, Lt. Gen. Thomas Hensley, stressed the importance of persistent engagement in cyberspace and defending forward alongside allies like Poland that lead the way when it comes to mission assurance.

“Alliances like ours ensure we identify, expose, and disrupt adversaries before they can harm our people or our infrastructure,” said Hensley.

During their visit, Polish cyber operators held technical exchanges with operators and SMEs from 16th Air Force, the 67th Cyberspace Wing, 90th Cyberspace Operations Squadron, 33rd Cyber Operations Squadron and 616th Operations Center. These engagements advanced shared tactics, techniques, lessons learned and processes across key mission areas.

Following a commander-to commander discussion, Polish Maj. Gen. Karol Molenda, commander Poland Cyber Command, presented the Silver Poland’s National Defense Medal to U.S.  Lt. Gen. Thomas Hensley, commander, 16th Air Force, recognizing his leadership in elevating bilateral cyber operations and strengthening deterrence in the cyber domain.  Molenda also awarded the Bronze Poland’s National Defense Medal was awarded to Capt. Tricia Dang, 834th Cyberspace Operations Squadron; Capt. Sruthi Kalidindi, 92nd Cyberspace Operations Squadron; and Capt. Brandon Webster, 16th Air Force, for enabling cyber operations that directly advance the U.S. and Polish strategic objectives.

“I am deeply honored to receive this recognition from our Polish allies, from you not just a colleague, not just a mentor but a friend,” said Lt. Gen. Hensley. “This medal represents not only individual achievement but the collective dedication of our Airmen and Polish partners who work tirelessly to enhance our shared cyber defenses and protect our homeland.”

The awards follow a June 16 ceremony in Legionowo, Poland, where the Honorable Cezary Tomczyk, Poland’s Deputy Minister of National Defense, presented the Bronze Poland’s National Defense Medal to Maj. Emmanuel Azua, 16th Air Force.

These historic recognitions marked the first time Poland honored foreign officials for contributions to its cyber mission, the first time such awards were personally approved by Poland’s Minister of Defense, and the first-time foreign allies received awards at Poland Cyber Command headquarters.

“The contributions made by the recipients of the Polish Armed Forces Meals embody the highest standards of service,” said Maj. Gen Molenda Commander of the Poland Cyber Command. “Through their efforts, they have enhanced our shared ability to address complex challenges, improve operational effectiveness, and support the development of modern capabilities essential to national collective security

Sixteenth Airforce and Poland Cyber Command continue to increase bilateral cyber interoperability; conduct joint exercises; and synchronize operations to identify emergent threats and counter hostile cyber actors targeting critical infrastructure and military operations.

“We see Poland as a model ally," said Secretary of War Pete Hegseth during a press conference in Warsaw earlier this year.

“We want to achieve peace through strength together,” said Hegseth. “The more we can cooperate with those systems, [and] the more interoperable our capabilities are, the better.”

Through shared efforts and persistent collaboration in cyberspace, 16th Air Force and Poland remain committed to strengthening combined readiness, and ensuring any attempts to compromise our networks, critical infrastructure or military are defeated.