title: Włodzimierz Potasiński
text: # Włodzimierz Potasiński
  
  Włodzimierz Potasiński (31 July 1956 – 10 April 2010) was a Polish military figure, commander-in-chief of the Polish Special Forces.
  
  Potasiński was born at Czeladź. He was killed in the 2010 Polish Air Force Tu-154 crash at Smolensk.
  
  ## Honours and awards
  
  Potasiński was awarded numerous civil and military awards, including the Order of Polonia Restituta in 2006.
  
  * Commander's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (2010, posthumously) previously awarded the Knight's Cross (2006)
  * Gold Cross of Merit (2000)
  * Silver Cross of Merit (1993)
  * Gold Medal in the Service of the Armed Forces of the Homeland
  * Gold Medal for his contribution to national defence
  * Commemorative medal of the Multinational Division Central-South Iraq
  * Meritorious Service Medal (2006, United States)
  * United States Special Operations Command Medal (2010, United States, posthumously)
  * Grand Officer of the Order of Merit (2008, Portugal)
  * UN Medal UNDOF mission
  * entry in the "Book of Honour of the Minister of National Defence" (2007)
  