Poland's new president formally took control of the nation's military Sunday and unveiled a plaque to the victims of the plane crash that killed his predecessor and 95 other people. Bronislaw Komorowski, who as the country's president is commander in chief, assumed command of the armed forces on Army Day, the August 15 holiday that honors a stunning Polish victory against Russian Bolsheviks in 1920, according to AP. In a ceremony at Warsaw's central Pilsudski Square, Komorowski knelt at a military banner and kissed it as he was surrounded by soldiers. The event was marked by military pomp, including a parade, the playing of trumpets and the firing of cannons. Komorowski takes command of a military with 2,600 soldiers in Afghanistan, an unpopular mission that Komorowski hopes to end in 2012. He was sworn in as Poland's new president more than a week ago, making him the fourth democratically elected head of state since Poland threw off communism, and the successor to Lech Kaczynski, who was killed in the plane crash in Russia.
