A Polish family waves American flags at the Polish-American Freedom Fest in Powidz, Poland, July 4, 2025. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
POWIDZ, Poland — Residents of this sleepy lakeside village that hosts U.S. troops could hardly believe it when they heard that the American indie rock band American Authors would be performing here.
“In Poland, we know very well the song ‘Best Day of My Life,’” Mayor Jakub Gwit said Friday in his office, referring to the group’s 2013 hit single. “It’s amazing that in small Powidz, a world-famous band would come to sing to us.”
The July 4 concert was part of the Polish-American Freedom Fest, a U.S. Independence Day celebration co-hosted by this village of about 2,300 people in west-central Poland and the U.S. Army.
As soldiers in civilian attire and Polish attendees danced together — at times with their hands in the air and joined by frontman Zac Barnett, who leapt offstage wearing an Uncle Sam hat — the celebration, at the very least, sparked smiles and casual conversation outside the usual rhythms of daily life.
It also underscored how much this nearly 800-year-old village has changed in less than a decade since the Army arrived.
Powidz has long had a military presence. The Polish government built an airfield here in the 1950s, when the country was part of the communist Eastern Bloc.
In the late 2000s, several years after Poland joined NATO, the U.S. Air Force began using the airfield for rotational operations.
But arguably the most significant transformation to the area since the airfield was built began in 2017, when U.S. Army units started deploying to Powidz for monthslong rotations as part of a task force under Operation Atlantic Resolve, a mission designed to deter Russian aggression and bolster NATO’s eastern flank.
The task force provides fuel, maintenance and other logistical support to Army units. In addition to the rotational soldiers who support it, other U.S. soldiers work at the airfield, training Polish personnel on operating and maintaining Apache helicopters that Warsaw is purchasing from Washington.
A small group of soldiers also works alongside U.S. contractors at the Army’s newest pre-positioned stock site in Powidz, where equipment and supplies are stored for rapid use in a crisis.
Together, these elements bring the number of U.S. personnel in Powidz to roughly 1,500, according to the U.S. Army Garrison Poland. At any given time, that’s about 40% of the village’s population, which includes the surrounding areas.
A Polish boy colors on American-themed paper at Polish-American Freedom Fest in Powidz, Poland, July 4, 2025. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
Promoting cohesion has been a priority, which military leaders say goes hand-in-hand with outreach and cultural understanding.
“We have a responsibility to the community,” garrison commander Col. Jesse Chace said on the sidelines of Friday’s event. “This isn’t Iraq or Afghanistan. Soldiers can walk out the gate, they can hop in a cab, they are going to be part of the community, regardless.”
It’s a similar situation at the garrison’s 12 installations spread across western Poland. Although the Army has operated in the country for years, the garrison was only activated in early 2023, reflecting the service’s increasingly permanent presence.
The Polish-American Freedom Fest, held last year for the first time, is the only official Army Independence Day celebration in Europe held off base.
Magnets sold in Powidz, Poland, on July 4, 2025, highlight the U.S. military’s connection to the area. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
The speed with which the event came together underscored the garrison’s commitment to strengthening ties, something Chace described as an insurance policy of sorts as the relationship moves forward.
“When the community has positive relationships with the Army as an institution, that really helps, because there will be one-off incidents here and there,” Chace said. “These goodwill events help mitigate those sorts of things.”
In addition to live music, attendees were able to play various lawn games, like cornhole, beach volleyball, swim in Lake Powidzkie and hang out at food and drink stands.
Attendees of the second annual Polish-American Freedom Fest gather near a sign for the event in Powidz, Poland, on July 4, 2025. It is the only U.S. Army Independence Day celebration in Europe held off base. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
Soldier volunteers handed out small American flags, American flag sunglasses and red, white and blue-beaded necklaces to the crowd of several hundred. A large fireworks display was held at night.
Pfc. Xavier Bowman volunteered to sit in a dunk tank, which got a lot of attention from younger attendees, whom he playfully taunted as they attempted to drop him in the water.
He said that throughout his deployment, it’s usually been younger Poles who are the easiest to connect with.
“The older generation doesn’t know English all that well,” Bowman said. “It’s usually people around my age, early 20s, late 20s, who understand English, who you have the better experiences with.”
Cpl. Paul Young, who played cornhole in the afternoon, said that in addition to breaking down barriers with the community, the event provided a rest day for soldiers, whose deployment to Powidz can be difficult at times.
For the time being, U.S. soldiers deployed to Powidz, Poland, have to live in communal tents, like these on the Polish base housing American soldiers. However, permanent dormitories are being built. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
Soldiers here still live in communal tents on base, although the construction of permanent housing has begun. Some face travel restrictions based on their rank, and while Powidz has the largest Exchange store in Poland, it pales in comparison to stores at larger bases elsewhere in Europe.
“It’s not a hostile environment, but when you think about the time away from family, the amount of hours that get put in every day at work, the limited time you have to actually enjoy your life, that makes it more stressful, and in extreme cases depression can set in,” said Young, who spent the holiday away from his two young children and wife. “So, having days like this are definitely beneficial because they allow us to take a step back and really get to enjoy life.”
Local entrepreneurs have seized on the opportunity to offer goods and services that enhance the quality of life for U.S. soldiers stationed in Powidz.
Outside the base, a roadside collection of businesses includes restaurants, a vape shop, a tattoo parlor and a car rental store.
Sebastian Zurek, who runs the Red Box Truck restaurant with his brother in Powidz, Poland, says he considers the U.S. troops in the area as friends. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
Sebastian Zurek runs the Red Box Truck restaurant with his brother and said it was the first to open in the area.
“I want the soldiers to feel at home here,” Zurek, who grew up in the U.S., said at the restaurant, whose wall decorations included a Trump 2020 flag, various Army unit flags and a Ted Nugent flag with a rifle silhouette and “I will not comply” written on it, a phrase commonly associated with opposition to gun regulations.
The venue has a pool table and hosts karaoke nights. A miniature golf course is planned to be built out back.
Zurek said he thinks of U.S. troops as friends but conceded that not all residents see them this way.
“It’s a mixed feeling among the locals, because sometimes the soldiers’ shenanigans are noisy, and sometimes they drink a little bit too much and get kind of obnoxious,” Zurek said, adding that, generally, even the critics consider the Americans good for Powidz’s economy.
Gwit, the mayor, agreed, and said since the Army’s arrival, about 50 new businesses have opened in the area.
A Statue of Liberty replica overlooks Lake Powidzkie at Pod Strzecha hotel and restaurant in Giewartow, Poland, on July 4, 2025. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
Across the lake in Giewartow, a resort has erected a large replica of the Statue of Liberty, facing the water, partly to attract American customers and partly because the owner “is a fan of the American lifestyle,” according to management.
Gwit said the growth is benefiting residents, too. Restaurants that used to shutter when the lake tourism season ended are now open all year.
Also, as part of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement between the United States and Poland, which expanded the U.S. military presence in the country, the Polish government agreed to fund infrastructure improvements for U.S. forces, including upgrades to roads in places like Powidz.
Spectators enjoy a massive fireworks display during the Polish-American Freedom Fest in Powidz, Poland, July 4, 2025. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
U.S. troops enjoy a massive fireworks display during the final event of the Polish-American Freedom Fest in Powidz, Poland, July 4, 2025. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
Some of the patriotic memorabilia given out at the Polish-American Freedom Fest in Powidz, Poland, July 4, 2025. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
Sgt. Damiracale Alexander was crowned the cake-eating champion at the Polish-American Freedom Fest in Powidz, Poland, on July 4, 2025. (Phillip Walter Wellman/Stars and Stripes)
In addition to the Freedom Fest, which organizers say will be an annual tradition, the garrison says soldiers will continue to participate in regular outreach activities. These include events like cooking and dance classes and school visits by soldiers.
Pfc. Destiny Winfield is one of the most active volunteers who visit local schools.
“So many of the students follow me on social media now,” Winfield said with a smile, adding that young Poles are keen to take selfies with soldiers and talk about U.S. pop culture. “A lot of girls here listen to Olivia Rodrigo, they literally like the same things.”
Chaplain assistant Spc. Michael Strassner also regularly meets with community members in his role.
“We’ve made a lot of progress and we’re certainly part of the community, although we’re not entrenched in it yet,” Strassner said. “But we haven’t been here for as much time as we’ve been in Germany, for example. There’s still time for us to further establish the American presence here in Poland.”
