| Military Gendarmerie Żandarmeria Wojskowa | |
|---|---|
&sq=&lang=&file=File:%C5%BBandarmeria_wojskowa-symbol.svg) Badge of the Military Gendarmerie | |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 1 September 1990 |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Operations jurisdiction | Poland |
| Constituting instruments |
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| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Agency executive |
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| Parent agency | Ministry of National Defence |
| Notables | |
| Anniversary |
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| Website | |
| Official website | |
The Military Gendarmerie (Polish: Żandarmeria Wojskowa, abbreviated ŻW) is a military police force established in 1990 in Poland as a specialized service of the Polish Armed Forces.
The exact role of the gendarmerie has been historically difficult to ascertain, with several changes and developments since the fall of communism. Prior to the abandonment of conscription in 2009, the ZW was primarily concerned with the conscription efforts of the Polish Armed Forces and chasing down avoiders, however the unit returned to traditional military policing after this with a confusing hiatus of their public role and deployment for 10 years with ad-hoc deployment at the government's will. Since the coronavirus pandemic however, ZW has taken an increasingly public role in society.
In further confusion, in 2021 the Gendarmerie was demoted from a full service branch of the Polish Armed Forces, instead being classified as an "other" unit, alongside the Inspectorate of Armed Forces Support (logistics unit), the Warsaw Garrison (various representational and ceremonial duties in the capital), as well as the Operational Command and General Staff which are the main decisional organs in the chain of command. As of 2022, the unit also has a Criminal Directorate acting as an intelligence gathering unit for cybersecurity purposes.