They Have Returned from Afghanistan

Also in attendance at the ‘Welcome Home’ ceremony were Brig.-Gen. Csaba Varga, the Chief of Staff of the HDF Joint Force Command (HDF JFC), Brig.-Gen. Imre Lamos, the commander of the HDF 86th Szolnok Helicopter Base and Brig.-Gen. (Ret.) Ernő Széles, the president of the mission section of the Hungarian Reservists’ Association.

Brig.-Gen. Varga thanked the members of the contingents for their professional work. “The mission you went on is a highly significant one in the history of Hungarian as well as international peacekeeping. This time again, you have earned recognition and respect for the Hungarian troops, the Hungarian Defence Forces and the Air Force. Through your work you have helped to make sure that the Hungarian public can get to know and appreciate the mission we are carrying out in Afghanistan. One of the major strategic tasks among our commitments in NATO is to provide assistance and support for the training. Helping the pilots and ground crews of the Afghan Air Force to master operational skills is a serious mission, as we were tasked with sharing professional knowledge with the officers and NCOs of a military in a country where this type of training had been lacking for decades", the general pointed out.

Defence Minister Dr. Csaba Hende awarded ‘For Peacekeeping’ Service Medals to the members of the now returned contingents. Maj.-Gen. László Domján, the commander of the HDF JFC handed over tokens of appreciation to the best ones for their exemplary work.

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