The Most Difficult Task Was Waking Up “At Dawn”

Night watch was the children’s favorite program, but the early reveille and tidying up the tents were problematic for the campers of the military camp “Adventure Time!" in the Póstelek “barracks". On July 3, ten campers changed into uniform. It took a couple of days for them to get used to soldierly discipline, but by the end of the week they were all sad that soon they would have to go home.

The one-week training was tough – it was guaranteed to be so by WO István Berczi, the commander of the camp, and Capt. Mihály Soós, an interest representation officer from the Recruitment and Interest Representation Office No.4 of the HDF Eastern Hungarian Augmentation/Recruitment Command. Reveille was at 0600hrs in the morning, to be followed by a morning PT, washing, parading and receiving orders. Military training programs usually lasted until the afternoon.

“Fledgling soldiers" (between 11–14) had field training, survival course, formation drills and target practice, attended a close-quarters battle (CQB) demonstration, learned about the organizational structure of the Hungarian Defence Forces, “flew" a flight simulator and learned the basics of lifesaving and first aid.

Maj. László Gulyás, Commander, HDF 54th Veszprém Radar Regiment, Békéscsaba Radar Company and 1st Backbone Radar Measurement Point (BRMP) told us that it was the first time they had organized this camp. The children were “recruited" by Tamás Szabó, the managing director of “Pósteleki Turisztikai Kft" (Póstelek Tourism Ltd). Defence Minister Dr. Csaba Hende gave his support to the idea of the camp, so the soldiers were able to lead the program of instruction (POI).

At the obstacle course race held on July 8, the last day, assembling and disassembling of weapons were supervised by WO Zoltán Kohut, mine detection by WO István Berczi, hand-grenade throwing by SFC Ferenc Csete, rope-crossing by SFC Márta Kisné Laczkó and her little daughter, Brigi, and crawling by SFC Gabriella Bercziné Fazekas. Civilians were invited to lead the archery and airsoft target practice: from the “Csaba Lovas-Íjász Kör" (Horseback Archers’ Association), chairman Attila Babulya; from the Békéscsaba Shooting Club, chairman János Fodor and Csaba Braun, a member of the Board came to Póstelek.

The youngest campers were Márk Óré, Balázs Bencsik, and András Jánovszki, who have just turned 11. The children agreed that it would have been a mistake to miss this week. Márk, their "spokesman" said that his father was a soldier, so he did not have to beg his parents to live a soldier’s life for a week. He did not regret his decision, so if they happen to organize a camp like this next year, he will apply again. He has enjoyed himself a lot and told us that there was only one rule of the daily detail that he and his friends never respected, namely the lights out at 0930hrs. However, the 0600hrs reveille “at the crack of dawn" exhausted him because this time of the year, during the summer vacation, it often happens that he climbs out of bed only around ten o’clock.

Photo: Gábor Galovtsik

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