Sharing holiday traditions, 1st Cavalry Division visits local Polish school in Wysoka

WYSOKA, Poland – There are several towns in Poland with the name Wysoka, which roughly translates to high or noble, but in a small village 50 minutes away from the nearest U.S. Forward Operating Site, lies a small public primary school named after Władysław Stanisław Reymont, a Polish novelist and Nobel Prize winner in literature. Chaplain (Cpt.) Aaron Means, the battalion chaplain for Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division, was invited with 10 volunteers to visit the local school Dec. 20, 2024, where they interacted with the students sharing their culture and Christmas traditions.

“We are having a community engagement, with really, a group of all ages from the ages 5 to 14,” said Means, an Ohio native. “They just want to interact with us, share some of their culture, and ask us questions from something as simple as do we have siblings or how many pets we have to what we do in the Army.”

Means previously served in an inner-city mission for several years, before he chose to leave the ministry for personal reasons. After much deliberation and prayer, he was encouraged to go back to the ministry by his wife and he became an Army Chaplain in January 2018. This is his first time ever doing a school engagement, especially in a foreign country.

“It was rewarding for me to see all the kids, to see the smiles and the waves. They were very loving and excited to see us,” said Means. “But at the same time, I don’t think they know how much I got touched just hearing them singing Christmas carols. Even though I couldn’t understand the language, I could feel the spirit of it.”

Among the 10 volunteers was Spc. Katarzyna Roguska, a network communication systems specialist with Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division and a Polish native. Roguska came to the United States in 2006 where she eventually became a naturalized citizen and joined the active-duty Army from the reserve in 2022.

“Today’s visit is full of emotions, being Polish,” said Roguska. “It reminds me of the time when I was in school, when we were preparing for Christmas time.”

Coming to the school brought back many fond memories of her time growing up in her homeland. At the same time, Roguska feels there is value in visiting the school for everyone.

“We can exchange our experiences with Polish and American culture, and how we are celebrating Christmas and preparing for the holiday season.”

The visit consisted of a Christmas carol concert performed by the students, free time with the soldiers, and a sweet break of cake and tea with the village elders and teachers.

“Talking with some of the teachers and leaders, they live for it,” said Means. “The next person who is replacing me here, I’ll make sure I share their contact information so we can continue this because they enjoy it, and I think the soldiers would get a lot. It’s a moral booster, really.”