Departing for Missions in Afghanistan and the Balkans

In the presence of their families and relatives, Defence Minister Csaba Hende said farewell to the troops to deploy with the Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team (OMLT) in Afghanistan, the Air Mentor Team (AMT), the Air Advisory Team (AAT) and those who are to deploy in the Balkans Joint Operational Area (JOA).

In his speech, the Defence Minister stressed that “We have undertaken these missions together with our allies in order to help create stability and peace". The mission of the OMLT is an Afghan battalion, which had a very long way to go and some initial difficulties when it started to work, but keeps getting better and better day by day, week by week with each rotation. Now this battalion is about to be validated by NATO, and this validation process will assess all the work that the Hungarian and US troops have done so far, Csaba Hende said.

“The job done by the Air Advisory Teams has great significance too" – the Minister added. Addressing the soldiers, he pointed out that “There is much at stake with your work! The sooner the Afghan National Army will be ready to tackle the security problems of the country, the sooner the mission of the Alliance will end in Afghanistan, including our tasks."

The mission of those to deploy in the Balkans will be a test of cooperation too. They must always be ready to do what needs to be done in unforeseeable, rapidly changing situations", the Minister of Defence noted, stressing that “participation in missions is the peak of the military vocation and the profession in today’s Hungarian Defence Forces".

Maj.-Gen. Deborah A. Ashenhurst, the Adjutant General of the Ohio National Guard expressed her appreciation to the Hungarian and US troops of the OMLT-8 rotation for all they have done in the last months during their training.

The major-general said that this mission has great challenges and is extremely dangerous. She asked the US and Hungarian soldiers who are about to go on the mission to return home safe and sound with success.

Following the speeches, OMLT Commander Lt-Col. István Tóth, AMT Commander Col. József Koller, AAT Commander Maj. Gábor Oláh and Col. (Eng.) Ferenc Kovács, the senior officer of the personnel departing for the Balkans JOA reported to Defence Minister Csaba Hende that they were ready to execute their tasks.

Speaking at the reception held after the farewell ceremony, Gen. Dr. Tibor Benkő, the Chief of the Defence Staff stressed that all soldiers to deploy with missions must bear in mind that they are serving the prosperity and freedom of a given nation.

“All of you are excellently trained, great soldiers, but you should never forget that you are to deploy in an area of operations where professionalism is not enough in itself. You are going together on this mission, and you have to return home together!", the general said.

A delegation from the Defence Committee of the Austrian Parliament also attended the farewell ceremony in Tata. After the event, Defence Minister Dr. Csaba Hende accompanied its members to the dynamic display of the 11th Tank Battalion of the HDF 25th ‘Klapka György’ Infantry Brigade.