A Helicopter Ride and Footballs Made of Plastic Bags

"What was it like? Perhaps ‘unforgettable’ would be the most appropriate word to describe what I feel regarding the trip. The two days spent in Afghanistan were extraordinary, a grand experience, with good and bad impressions alike. I have seen both sadness and happiness" – says Mariann Puskás less than a day after landing at Ferihegy Airport. The sight of misery and poverty saddened the lady, who lives in Karcag, the most. Back home she couldn’t imagine a scale of penury she saw in Afghanistan. Soldiers told her that they already recognize most of the people by the clothes they wear, since they have only one outfit. And children are playing with plastic bags, they stuff the bags and use them instead of a football, or they tie it with strings and the kite is ready to fly …

Nevertheless, she became good friends with the Hungarian troops serving abroad despite the short timeframe, and they have talked for hours in the evening, when all the official events of the programme had ended.

“Following our arrival we spent a few hours in Mazar-e Sharif, then we left for the Hungarian camp at Pol-i Khumri in a helicopter. I think this part of the trip will be remembered for a long time by each of us, since we were following the terrain, at an altitude of a mere 20 metres" – recalls Mariann, who also mentions that during the day spent with the Hungarian troops they could leave the premises of the camp three times. On each occasion they had a chance to escort Hungarians transporting relief consignments to nearby settlements.

"So far I haven’t had the opportunity to recover from the strains of the journey, but should think over in a relaxed mood, too, what I have experienced the last weekend. One thing is for sure: it was the greatest adventure of my life" – told Mariann.

Erika Babinszki from Miskolc also believes that the trip was very exciting, mostly because they could see how well prepared the Hungarian troops serving in Afghanistan are through a civilian’s eyes.

"The helicopter ride is my most vivid memory, too. I cannot tell what it feels like to go at a speed of several hundred kilometres per hour only a few metres above ground" – said Erika, who also added that the preparation training they had completed at Szolnok prior to leaving was very useful in many aspects, among others they got used to wearing a bulletproof vest. On Sunday, when they visited the nearby villages with an armed escort, they had to wear the ‘chain mail’ all day long.

"I wouldn’t have thought that Hungarian troops serving abroad are so cheerful and high spirited, considering the hard work they do and the fact that they are on permanent standby and they live under tension from dawn till dusk" — says Erika.

According to József Hermeczi, the other winner from Miskolc, the two days spent in Afghanistan will be an unforgettable experience.

"One has to reconsider the notion of poverty fundamentally. People living in Hungary should recognize how lucky we are for we were born and are living under normal conditions. Afghanis cannot say that" —said József, for whom the sight of the Afghanistani terrain, which resembles the surface of the Moon, was the most striking. Everything is yellow and gray, and there are enormous mountains rising high all around us.

In the opinion of József there are only a few people at home who are able to comprehend what the Hungarian troops are doing abroad. They wear a nearly 20 kg shrapnel-proof vests and they are fully armed in 40 °C.

"What I remember the most is when we set off for home and the members of the force protection team escorting the delegation to the airport stood around their ATVs and waved white hankies" – recalls József, who – just like his team mates – extremely enjoyed the helicopter ride between Mazar-e Sharif and Pol-i Khumri. As he noted, most people can see such things only in movies. In the front there were two machine gunners sweeping the ground continuously, and at the back of the aircraft there were two armed troops at the open ramp watching out for any sign of a possible attack that may harm the rotorcraft transporting the team.

The fourth lucky winner, Zoltán Szabó, who lives near Székesfehérvár also reckons that the trip was full of adventures. For him it was really shocking to learn that people of this region have less then one dollars a day to make a living. In other words, the extent of poverty cannot be described and they need every little help.

"In addition to the above, I was dumbfounded when I met people in Afghanistan who used to be my mates, or even officers or non-commissioned officers 13 years ago, when I was fulfilling my statutory military service. We have talked about how strange it is that one has to go ‘to the end of the world’ to meet again" – said Zoltán, who also confessed that he could carry on talking about the experiences he has gathered abroad for a long time. What he also wanted to share with us was his opinion of the Hungarian soldiers serving in Afghanistan: he believes they are professionals, who are disciplined and prepared for their tasks.

Similarly to the others, Zoltán likes to recall the helicopter ride the most, although the whole visit will be one of the most memorable experiences of his life.