Hungarian Bridges for NATO
Szöveg: Gábor Kálmánfi | 2015. április 20. 10:30“On exercises like this, soldiers of different nations learn how they can work together, and they also learn common procedures for conducting joint operations to attain a common objective”, Gen. Dr. Tibor Benkő, Chief of Defence said at the international press conference of Exercise Saber Junction 2015 in Hohenfels, Germany on April 15. According to Lt.-Gen. Ben Hodges, Commanding General US Army Europe (USAREUR), in the future NATO should even more fully utilize the Hungarian Defence Forces’ engineering and bridging capabilities. (Report from the spot!)
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Lt.-Gen. Ben Hodges told us that Exercise Saber Junction 2015 is also important because it paves the way and creates opportunities for further joint exercises where the troops can get to the next level.
As he lieutenant-general said, in this January, Hungarian troops participated in Exercise Allied Spirit, and there is an even larger Hungarian commitment to the currently ongoing exercise that builds on it. He noted that the Hungarian armed forces have wonderful engineering – in particular, bridging – capabilities, and that’s what the Alliance needs. Interoperability also includes Hungarian bridges for American military vehicles to cross a river, for example, the lieutenant-general told us.
He added that, Saber Junction 2015 is part of NATO’s Operation Atlantic Resolve, which is being conducted in response to the crisis in Ukraine and has the word “resolve" in its name too, so it definitely means a large-scale series of exercises.
Col. John Meyer III, Commander, US 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment (the commander of the international forces on this year’s Exercise Allied Spirit) told us that he had already served with Hungarian troops on two occasions, and the regiment has developed a very good relationship with the Hódmezővásárhely-based 62nd Infantry Battalion of the HDF 5th “Bocskai István" Infantry Brigade.
“Since then we have participated in several joint exercises, but this is only an aspect of good cooperation between member states", the colonel said.
Gen. (Ret.) Gordon R. Sullivan, former Chief of Staff of the US Army told us that the existence and performance of NATO is currently the symbol of preserving a normal and quiet life.
After the press conference, Gen. Tibor Benkő, Maj.-Gen. Sándor Fucsku, Commander, HDF Joint Force Command (HDF JFC), Brig.-Gen. Dr. Gábor Böröndi, Land Forces Chief, HDF JFC, Col. Mark Karas, US military attaché and Col. Tim Manning, Chief, Office of Defense Cooperation, US Embassy Budapest visited the Hungarian troops participating in the exercise.
Firstly they were introduced to the taskings of the soldiers of the HDF 34th “Bercsényi László" Special Operations Force Battalion. During Saber Junction 2015, the Hungarian Special Forces are carrying out combined operations with a Polish SF detachment. In closing their program, the high-ranking guests watched the offensive combat maneuvers of the 1st rifle company of the HDF 25th “Klapka György" Infantry Battalion.
Photos by the author
