They Spoke a Common Language

It is a vital principle of the Hungarian security policy to support the European integration of her neighbours. As a part of this, there has been a good co-operation going on – at different levels and in different forms –between the Serbian and the Hungarian armed forces for many years. An important part of the common trainings is the so-called “platoon exchange training", according to which a peace-supporting operation practicing exercise has been conducted once a year since 2010, where Hungary and Serbia take turns as the host of the event. This year Hungary hosted the exercise Neighbours 2018 from 17-20 September, with the participation of about eighty soldiers.

Hungary is represented from the very beginning by the soldiers of the 3rd Bercsényi Miklós Infantry Battalion of the HDF 5th Bocskai István Infantry Brigade, and the Serbian party takes part with the subunits of the 1st Mechanised Brigade in the joint training. The Ohio National Guard joined the Serbian-Hungarian joint training five years ago. The American soldiers – besides the planning – acted as mentors and active contributors in the task-execution.

According to the scenario of the Demonstration Day of the exercise Neighbours 2018 – attended by Major General John C. Harris, the Assistant Adjutant General for Army of the Ohio National Guard, Lieutenant Colonel Nikola Stojković, the Assistant for Operations of the 1st Mechanised Brigade of the Serbian Armed Forces and Brigadier General Dr. Ruszin Romolusz, the Commander of the HDF 5th Bocskai István Infantry Brigade -, the joint Serbian-American-Hungarian subunit demonstrated how to take back the buildings occupied by the terrorists in an urban environment. The soldier, injured in the fight – following the treatment of the combat life savers (CLS) – was evacuated from the scene by one of the Mi-8 helicopters of the Hungarian Air Force.

In the platoon-level execution, the leaders of the training practice set up the fire-groups deliberately with an aim to include Serbian, American and Hungarian soldiers alike in them. As not everybody spoke English among the soldiers, they had to execute the tasks with the use of hand-signals, body-signals and basic words – Brigadier General Dr. Ruszin Romolusz explained to the inquiry of the honvedelem.hu after the demonstration. The commander of the HDF 5th Infantry Brigade added, that the exercise Neighbours 2018 formed an important part of the unit’s Bakony mission containing several exercises, lasting from the beginning of September until the end of October.

Greeting the troops, who formed up in lines following the spectacular demonstration, General Ruszin emphasised that the exercise has been conducted in a common language, but this was not the English, or the Serbian and nor the Hungarian either, but the “military language", which all the participants speak equally well, thus they completed the tasks with success. The Brigadier General underlined that the multinational exercise Neighbours will continue next year.

Major General John C. Harris thanked for the joint work of the Serbian, American and Hungarian soldiers. He praised the outstanding co-operation of the participating nations, and noted that they can use the capabilities acquired during the exercise in many areas of operation (AO), and in other trainings as well.

Commenting on the task-execution of the soldiers of the three nations, Lieutenant Colonel Nikola Stojković spoke about the significance of the joint trainings and of their continuation.

At the end of the demonstration day Dr. Ruszin Romolusz presented awards to the soldiers participating in the exercise.