Stanisław Targosz

Gen. Stanisław Targosz (b. July 23, 1948 in Jaroszów, Poland) former commanding officer of the Polish Air Force.

Biography

On January 3, 1967, Targosz joined the Officer Pilot School in Dęblin. Upon graduating in January of 1969, he was promoted to "podporucznik" (2nd Lt. and started his career as a pilot in the 2nd "Kraków" Fighter Regiment in Goleniów. In March of 1971 he was transferred to the 40th Fighter Regiment in Świdwin and in March of 1973 he was given command over a Fighter Key ("squadron") in that regiment. On December 16, 1973 he was again transferred, this time to the 3rd Fighter-Bomber Regiment based in Bydgoszcz, where he served as a pilot (until August 29, 1974), elder pilot (until November 24 of that year) and key commander.

In 1975 he was assigned to the Academy of General Staff in Rembertów. Upon graduating from that university in 1978 he was again assigned to the 3rd Fighter-Bomber Regiment, this time as a deputy commander of line escadrille. On February 11, 1981 he became its commander and on September 4, 1983 he became the chief of staff of that unit and deputy commanding officer. Finally, on December 13, 1985 he was given the command of 40th Fighter Regiment in Świdwin, the unit he started his career in. His successful command over that unit resulted in his promotion to colonel and, on May 11, 1990, Targosz became a deputy CO of the whole 3rd Fighter-Bomber Division. Finally on March 26, 1992, he became the commander of the latter unit.

In October of 1992 he was transferred to a Post-Graduate Course of Strategic Studies in Rembertów. After finishing the course in July of 1993, on October 27, 1994, he became the deputy commander of the 4th Air Corps based in Poznań. After finishing his practice there on September 30, 1998, he was transferred to the Polish Air Forces Headquarters in Warsaw, where he assumed the post of deputy chief of training. He held that post until March 5, 2000, when he also became the deputy CO of Air Forces.

On August 15, 2000, the "Day of Polish Army", he was promoted by president Aleksander Kwaśniewski, to the rank of "generał brygady" (brigadier general) and soon afterwards Targosz was transferred to the NATO CAOC-1 command in Finderup, Denmark. On November 18, 2003, Targosz was transferred back to Warsaw, where he assumed the post of deputy chief of Air Operations Centre and, since March 8, 2004, the commander of that centre.

On August 15 of that year he was promoted to the rank of "generał dywizji" (Major General). Finally, on April 3, 2005, he was promoted to the rank of "Generał broni" (three-star general) and became the commanding officer of the entire Polish Air Force, which he was until 19 April 2007 (next was General Andrzej Błasik).