As many in the military already understand, U.S. Troops have arrived in Poland in support of the NATO mission and in support of our allies specifically supporting the war in Ukraine. USAG Poland, which stood up this past March 2023 supports three forward operating sites in Poland: FOS Poznan, FOS Powidz, and FOS Zagan, comprising a total of 11 locations in Poland.  According to the U.S. Army The bulk of these Soldiers assigned to these locations are part of 4,000 rotational forces or 2,500 surge or exercise personnel. Since these forces are moving forward to these locations without their families, assignments to Poland can pose an increased risk of getting in trouble. Soldiers under investigation for Article 92 violations should contact a military lawyer for help in Poland as soon as they find they are suspected of a violation of General Order No. 1 in Poland.

Violation of General Order No. 1 in Poland

A General Order No. 1 published in September of 2022 laid out restrictions on Soldiers during their off-duty time to include Off-Limits Locations and limits to alcohol consumption.  Violation of these restrictions are punitive violations of this General Order are punishable under Article 92 UCMJ. A violation of General Order No. 1 in Poland can result in a GOMOR or other adverse action. Suspects facing these allegations need to contact a military lawyer for help in Poland

Off-Limits Locations

In general, most Soldiers manage to avoid getting in trouble out on this very important mission which is combat-adjacent in support of Ukraine if not combat for U.S. Soldiers. However, because they are not on lock-down on a FOB like they would be in Iraq or Afghanistan, there are plenty of opportunities to make mistakes especially without a spouse to go home to. These mistakes are in part due to confusion over what constitutes an off-limits location and how much alcohol is too much. In general order no. 1 Off-limit locations include bars, hookah lounges, karaoke bars, casinos located off an installation, night clubs, strip clubs, establishments that offer prostitution or illegal substances, and establishments where any employee is fully or partially nude. Seems easy right? Herein lies the confusion: the Order states that a bar is distinguished from a restaurant when its primary purpose is to serve alcohol and it does not serve meals while seated at tables. How does one distinguish a restaurant that serves food, but also has a hookah lounge and bar in it? Do you avoid that place or is it outside the off-limits restriction because you just had dinner there?

Excessive Alcohol Consumption

Also, those who normally do not drink often may find themselves building camaraderie with their peers while slinging back a few cold ones. In a foreign country the alcohol limits in the products could be different from what a person is used to. In General Order No. 1, a blood level of .08 is considered an excessive level of drinking. Who knows what their own personal level of .08 when they are out and about? Readers can see how easily someone might feel like they are not drinking to excess but have no idea how whether they have reached a limit the command considers excessive. And all it takes is being adjacent to an alcohol-related incident to get caught up in the net of a 15-6 investigation. If a bunch of senior NCOs are drinking together and one of them starts a fight with some rando or gets caught on the FOS Powdiz gate camera falling down drunk, everybody in that group is at risk of getting a GOMOR. A GOMOR is a career killer if it ends up in your permanent file. Soldiers accused of a violation of General Order No. 1 in Poland can mitigate their risk of adverse action affecting their careers if they get legal help from an experienced military lawyer right away.

Experienced Military Lawyer for help in Poland

Soldiers assigned to USAG Poland who find themselves under 15-6 investigation for an Article 92 violation need to refrain from making any statements to police, commanders, preliminary inquiry or 15-6 investigators. They should contact an experienced military lawyer for help in Poland right away. The Law Office of Peter Kageleiry, Jr. can help. We have already helped one Soldier achieve a local GOMOR filing allowing that Soldier to continue their stellar career after getting caught up in another Soldier’s drunken drama. Although we aren’t physically located in Poland, we serve service members all over the world, wherever there is  military base.

If you are stationed in Poland, contact us today here or give us a call at 757-504-2815. If you write to us via our website, we can call you back ASAP at WhatsApp, Signal, or Apple FaceTime if you have an iPhone.