Arrival of first US military schoolchildren gives Army site in Poland new growth indicator

POZNAN, Poland — As the military move season brings incoming soldiers to one of the Army’s fastest-growing overseas communities, another milestone is quietly reshaping the U.S. military footprint in Poland: American schoolchildren’s footsteps.

For the first time, U.S. military families are putting down roots in Poland as accompanied assignments expand beyond the predominantly unaccompanied force that has defined the Army’s presence here for years.

“The first families here are pioneers,” said Marcus Fichtl, U.S. Army Garrison Poland spokesperson. “We’re doing the best we can for our families to truly immerse themselves and be part of the culture here, on base and off. They’re as much a part of building our home on the Eastern Flank as we are.”

The arrivals reflect the continued growth of USAG Poland. Established in 2022 and home to the forward headquarters of V Corps, the Army’s operational headquarters in Europe, it’s the Army’s newest garrison.

Last year, the Pentagon approved 30 billets designated for soldiers with school-age dependents. The move marked the first formal pathway for select soldiers to complete accompanied tours in Poland.

About half of the 30 accompanied billets have arrived so far, according to USAG Poland leadership.

With no U.S. military schools on post, incoming families must find alternative arrangements for their children’s education.

Command Sgt. Maj. Alejandro Romar, the garrison’s senior enlisted leader, became the first soldier selected to fill one of the accompanied billets.

His daughter will begin her freshman year at Gaudium et Studium, a Polish high school that offers instruction in English, becoming one of the first U.S. military children to attend school in Poland under the accompanied assignment program.

“Personally, I’m just proud as a father,” Romar said. “As an organization, we’re bringing stability, and that stability is showing our host-nation partners that we’re here permanently. We’re setting those foundations with small, incremental steps.”

But the Romars weren’t the first family to arrive.

Making the journey about a month earlier was the Fryer family.

For Melissa Fryer, whose husband has served in the Army for 16 years, the move to Poland meant trading nearly a decade in the deserts of California and Texas for Poznan’s walkability, public transportation and cooler climate.

As the family’s first overseas assignment, the move to Poland represented more than another permanent change of station. The Fryers didn’t just PCS to Poland, they embraced the move as an opportunity to build a new chapter of their lives and a chance to embrace a different pace of life.

Their 10-year-old daughter, Nova, is the first school-age military child to arrive in Poland under the new accompanied assignments. She will be homeschooled like she was in California, her parents said.

The flexibility of homeschooling has allowed the family to focus on experiences outside the classroom. They recently enrolled in on-post Polish language classes, where Nova has become one of the youngest students in the class.

“We’re in week three of the Polish classes, and she’s blowing everyone else out of the water with the numbers and some of the questions,” Melissa said. “The adults are having trouble, but she’s getting it.”

For Nova, adapting to life in Poland has come with a few unexpected discoveries.

“They don’t have any sweet tea, and their chips aren’t nearly as salty,” she said. “They always have potatoes and meats, though.”

She also has some advice for the next wave of military children arriving in Poland.

“Bring your own ranch packets,” she said. “Watch out for the bicycles.”