Lieutenant General Mieczysław Cieniuch

Lieutenant General Mieczysław Cieniuch assumed his current assignment on April 20, 2006.

Born on January 24, 1951 Lieutenant General Cieniuch started his military career in 1970 at Armour Officer College. In 1974 after graduating from the College he received his first duty assignment as a MBT platoon leader at Tank Regiment. Then he served as a coy commander, staff officer, chief of training, chief of staff and finally a Commander of the 68 th Tank Regiment in Budowo (20 th Armoured Division). Within this time his Regiment twice achieved „an outstanding unit” title in regard of best training scores.

Since 1989 Lieutenant General Cieniuch held various command posts - as a Chief of Staff – Deputy Commander at the 2 nd Mechanized Division, Chief of Operations and Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations at the Pomeranian Military District. In 1995 he took command over the 8 th Coast Defence Division and received promotion to the rank of Brigadier General a year later (1996). During his service as the Commander, the Division was distinguished by the President of Poland with the Armed Forces Honour Badge.

In 1997 the General moved to Warsaw and commenced his General Staff adventure as Chief of the Command & Control Division and then Chief of J5. In 2001 he was promoted to the rank of Major General. In 2003 appointed to his previous post as I st Deputy Chief of General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces and promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General.

Lieutenant General Cieniuch graduated from the military college in Poznań and holds a Bachelor’s Degree. His military education includes Armoured Forces Academy at the National Defence University in Moscow (graduation with distinction) and the Armed Forces Industrial College at the National Defence University in Washington D.C.

The General attended also Resources and Management course at the Naval Postgraduate School - Monterey and Peacekeeping Operations course at the U.S. Defence Institute of International Legal Studies - Newport Rhode Island.

His major awards include Cavalier’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta and Golden Cross of Merits.

The General and his wife Danuta have one son Jacek.

Lieutenant General Cieniuch loves active sports, horse riding in particular. His interests include also history and geography.