Biden in Poland to see US troops, Ukraine refugees
Mar 25, 2022
By Reena Bhardwaj
Warsaw [Poland], March 25 : American President Joe Biden met with U.S. troops based in Poland serving alongside Polish troops on Friday, thanking them and also took a look at the growing humanitarian response to the millions of Ukrainians who are fleeing to Poland to escape Russia's assault on Ukraine.
President Biden arrived on Friday afternoon at the airport in Rzeszow, the largest city in southeastern Poland. Biden's first stop was with members of the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division visiting a barbershop and dining facility set up for the troops, where he invited himself to sit down and share some pizza.
President Biden greeted three men sitting in chairs in the front of the room, noting their very short hair and telling them, "You guys must have just gotten your hair cut!"
"You are the finest fighting force in the world and that's not hyperbole," Biden said before sitting down on a folding chair to eat with the group.
Biden then joined a group of service members eating pizza in a cafeteria and added, "I personally thank you for what you do." He told a brief story about being in Iraq with his deceased son, Beau Biden, who was a major in the Delaware Army National Guard.
Biden recounted his visit to Baghdad and when he finally located Beau, Biden said he noticed Beau wasn't using his actual name and asked what was going on. Beau told his dad that the name "Biden" could be a hassle where he was, and so was instead going by "Hunter" -- Beau's late mother's maiden name.
US has sent more than 5,500 additional troops to bolster the military presence on NATO's eastern flank.
