General Wojciechowski took over from Lieutenant General Manfred Hofmann of the German Armed Forces who had been holding the position since August 2015. The transfer of authority was carried out in the presence of the Polish Minister of Defence, the Danish Chief of Defence as well as many other military and civilian officials. According to agreements reaching back to the foundation of the Corps, the post of the commander is rotating between Polish and German Generals every three years.
The Corps with its new tasks is a very important element of NATO’s presence in this part of Europe.
“The Corps with its new tasks is a very important element of NATO’s presence in this part of Europe.” – stated General Wojciechowski – “There are new challenges ahead of us. I have to fit into my new role properly, having an ambitious staff which runs like a well-oiled machine, as everyone here has an important role to play.”
Prior to starting his tenure in Szczecin, General Wojciechowski was the Operational Commander of the Polish Armed Forces. Before that, he was in command of the 17th Polish Mechanized Brigade and served as Deputy Chief in the Operational Planning Directorate of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, to name but a few of his assignments. He was also deployed on missions both in Iraq and in Afghanistan.
While taking over, General Wojciechowski expressed his professional satisfaction to be continuing the mission of those who stepped before him. In the first place, he issued words of gratitude to his predecessor, General Hofmann, who has concluded his forty-four years of service in the German Armed Forces with the post in Szczecin.
Throughout the past three years, marking the leadership of General Hofmann, Headquarters Multinational Corps Northeast has become the most important NATO command in the east of the Alliance, with particular attention being paid to the Baltic Sea region, as decided at the two NATO summits in Newport and Warsaw.
“The Headquarters in Szczecin is prepared, able and willing to bear considerable responsibility for years to come. It is our mission to protect our shared values and interests and to contribute to the security of our nations each and every day.” – said General Hofmann. – “I am handing over command with a good conscience.”
Currently, HQ MNC NE monitors the security situation in Poland, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Slovakia and Hungary. Since June 2017, it has been operating as a High-Readiness Force Headquarters and, as such, has assumed the overall responsibility for conducting ground operations in NATO’s eastern territory.