On both the day of the President of the Republic of Poland’s inauguration and during the Polish Armed Forces Day celebrations, the First Lady of Poland, Marta Nawrocka, was accompanied by a female officer. That officer is Lieutenant Colonel Dorota Bołotowic, who has a long and interesting history in uniform.
She Accompanies the First Lady – Who Is Lt. Col. Dorota Bołotowicz?
Lt. Col. Dorota Bołotowicz has been wearing a uniform for 20 years – first for many years in the Border Guard, and later in the Polish Army.
“A ceremony was held in the Hall of Traditions of the Warsaw Garrison Command (DGW), during which Major General Robert Głąb welcomed a new soldier into the Command’s ranks. The oath was read by the commander of the Warsaw Garrison, and Captain Dorota Bołotowicz repeated its words after him. The formal act of the pledge was made on the standard of the Representative Regiment of the Polish Armed Forces,” reads the 2019 statement from the Warsaw Garrison Command. It was at that time that the officer switched from the Border Guard to the Polish Army.
Five years ago, in an interview with Polskie Radio 24, she spoke about her career in uniform:
“I began my service in the Border Guard. My choice of a uniformed career was conscious and mature. I joined the service at the age of 26. I have no family traditions in uniformed service. My husband, then fiancé, 33sparked my curiosity about the world of uniforms. I decided that my education fit this path, and I found my place in it,” she said.
And how does service in the Border Guard differ from that in the Army?
“It’s hard to compare. In the Army, the regulations are definitely followed very strictly, and addressing each other by rank is much more enforced,” she said in Polskie Radio 24.
Today, Lt. Col. Dorota Bołotowicz has played an important role during both the presidential inauguration and the Polish Armed Forces Day celebrations—she was the one who escorted First Lady Marta Nawrocka to the ceremonies, both at Piłsudski Square and at today’s military parade. On their way to the honor tribune, the two women even found a moment to exchange a few words and smiles.
As it turns out, her extraordinary story is also worth noting—especially on Polish Armed Forces Day, when we honor people like this officer, who devote their lives to serving their country.