Outdoor Recreation

Hunting in Poland is only accessible in 2 ways:

1. Show proof of proficiency with a valid European or Stateside Hunting license and hunt with one of the many outfitters here in Poland. If coming from Germany and you wish to bring your personal firearm, you’ll need your European weapons permit as well.

2. Obtain a Polish hunting license and join a hunting club here in Poland. The Polish will waive all requirements except for the written exam if you’ve passed the German hunting test. We’re currently working on getting approval for a linguist to be present at the exam and translate the test for Americans. It is not currently available in English.

Unlike Germany, we do not have anything in place like the Lander agreement to allow for US Forces to teach and test out of the Polish hunting license. Like Germany, there isn’t Federal or State land available for free range hunting and hunting is only available through a lease obtained by a club.

There are eight valid reasons for obtaining a firearms license in Poland:

Personal protection - A document indicating the presence of a permanent, real and above-average threat to life, health or property

Hunting - Certificate of the regional board of the Polish Hunting Association confirming the possession of authorization to perform hunting, Certificate of the regional board of the Polish Hunting Association confirming membership in PZŁ, other required confirmations, certificates or licenses depending on the type of weapon

Sporting - Certificate confirming membership in a shooting club or sports association, a document of the Polish Sport Shooting Association confirming the possession of sports qualifications, PZSS license

Historical reenactment - Certificate confirming membership in an association whose statutory purpose is to organize historical re-enactments, certificate confirming active participation in the statutory activities of the association

Collectible - Certificate confirming membership in a collector’s association

Souvenir - Document confirming the acquisition of weapons by inheritance, donation or distinction

Training - Document confirming the possession of the authorizations specified in separate regulations to conduct shooting training and documented registration of business activity in the field of shooting training.

In Poland, to acquire the right to own a firearm, a person must meet the following criteria:

1. Be at least 21 years of age.

2. Have a permanent place of residence in Poland.

3. Obtain a medical certificate confirming their physical and mental capacity to handle a firearm.

4. Have no criminal record; they cannot have been convicted of a crime by a final court decision.

5. Be free of addiction to alcohol or psychoactive substances.

6. Provide a valid reason for wanting to own a firearm.

Warrior Adventure Quest (WAQ) is an Army RESET training tool designed to introduce Soldiers to activities that serve as alternatives to aberrant behaviors often associated with accidents involving recently re-deployed Soldiers. This tool presents coping outlets to help Soldiers realize their own new level of normal after deployment and "move on" with their lives.

WAQ combines existing MWR Outdoor Recreation high adventure activities (e.g. rock climbing, mountain biking, paintball, scuba, ropes courses, skiing, zip lines, white water rafting, and others) with a leader-led after-action debriefing (L-LAAD) tool developed by Army Medical Department (AMEDD) center and school. 

The WAQ program has been developed into five phases.
 
Phase I, Leader Training, is for all SSG and above participants and teaches them how to facilitate a leader-led after action debrief 
(L-LAAD) in response to a significant event in an operational environment.

Phase II, teaches these unit leaders how to utilize the same L-LAAD technique when facilitation surrounds an outdoor adventure activity.

Phase III, Soldier Training, presents to all program Soldier participants concepts like personal readiness and resilience and Combat Operational Stress Control, and how they relate to the Warrior Adventure Quest program. 

Phase IV, is the outdoor adventure activity (e.g., paddling, riding, climbing, etc.) where team building is combined with challenging activity skills.

Phase V, is the actual facilitation of the L-LAAD by the unit leaders with their unit members to realize connections between the activity they have just experienced and the challenges they may be experiencing in their daily lives.