„The Radar Company Serves the Security of the Country”

On the anniversary of the foundation of the village, the Szekszárd section of the Honvéd
Association for Maintaining Military Traditions and the officers who had graduated from
the Ludovika Academy awarded a streamer to the gap-filling radar company (Medina) of the
HDF 54th Veszprém Radar Regiment.

Speaking at the streamer award ceremony – which was attended by Gen. Dr. Tibor Benkő, the
Chief of the Defence Staff – Csaba Hende stated that the cause of national defence has always
been “a huge task that needs everybody".

“This flag is the full brother of those under which our ancestors fought for the homeland.
Looking at the heroes’ memorial, we can see how many people of Medina and its environs
gave their lives for the country. Under flags exactly like these, the soldiers of the Hungarian
Defence Forces serve on the plateaus of Afghanistan and among the mountains of Kosovo,
and the soldiers of the centuries to come will work and fight for the national interests under
flags exactly like these. This streamer means that you consider this unit as your own, and
that it really belongs to you. Thank you for having understood that our soldiers’ work serves
the security of the whole country. The Hungarian Defence Forces are very pleased to work
together with you", the Minister said.

Military Historian Prof. Univ. Dr. Sándor Szakály, the President of the Honvéd Association
for Maintaining Military Traditions noted that the mission of today’s Hungarian Defence
Forces is to “guarantee the peace and tranquility of the country".

“All units are proud of their historical role models. The unit colors have been the most
essential thing for all units in history, and they protected it to the death. Our association
would like to transmit the past, and would like to remind the young soldiers why they have
chosen this vocation, which is not an occupation. There are only a few who swear an oath
of willingness to sacrifice their lives for the community". With the streamer we can transmit
something from the past, and those who can tie it on their unit colors are worthy of preserving
the past", the historian pointed out.

In his welcome speech, Col. László Zentai, the commander of the HDF 54th Veszprém Radar
Regiment related the history of the radar company and stressed that the microregion “has
accepted and integrated this unit, and considers it a part of itself. We are proud of our
colors and the streamer that has just been tied on it. Thank you for taking responsibility for
protecting the security of our country", the commander emphasized.

Col. Siposné Prof. Dr. Klára Kecskeméthy, a professor of the National University of Public
Service Faculty of Military Sciences and Officer Training tied the streamer on the unit colors.

Following the unit color awards ceremony, Csaba Hende handed over to the people of
Medina the Heroes’ Garden, a community space which includes a playground and has been
established with the funding of the Ministry of Defence.