The Polish government has launched a nationwide program offering weekend military training for civilians. DW reporter Tessa Walther travelled to Warsaw to see what the training looks like.
00:01Saturday mornings usually mean family time for Ursula.
00:05But today, the 44-year-old is learning how to extinguish a large fire.
00:10She's one of around 60 people taking part in a civilian military training course outside of Warsaw,
00:16part of Poland's push to prepare ordinary people for war.
00:23I came because of the dangerous situation in Europe and the world.
00:27I want to feel safer and I want to know how to protect my family if something bad happens.
00:33The courses focus on practical skills, putting on a gas mask, navigating rough terrain or starting a fire without a lighter.
00:41They're free and offered across the country.
00:43And on this Saturday alone, officials say they are training around 11,000 people all over Poland.
00:49Participants and military officials agree that since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly four years ago,
00:56peace can no longer be taken for granted.
00:59But could these one-day training sessions really make a difference in the case of war?
01:03It's definitely a game-changer because so far the majority of these people,
01:09they've never been exposed to that kind of knowledge.
01:13So definitely yes, but this will build also culture and mentality of being prepared.
01:20In recent years, Poland has invested heavily in its armed forces.
01:25Its defense spending now exceeds 4% of its GDP and with that the country invests more than any other NATO member relative to its economy.
01:34Its army is over 200,000 soldiers strong and with these military trainings for civilians here on the ground,
01:40it wants to take its ambitions a step further.
01:43Beyond teaching basic survival and defense, the government also hopes the training might spark interest in joining the military.
01:50Participants who enjoy the courses can continue and eventually enlist in the reserves.
01:55Ursula says she doesn't want to take that path, but she still feels the training matters.
02:01I hope I'll never have to use anything I learned today, but it's better to know these things in case something happens here in Poland or anywhere in Europe.
02:12More sessions are planned in the coming months.
02:15The goal is to train some 400,000 people by 2027.
02:19Poland believes that preparing its citizens for potential war is the best way to preserve peace.
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