Bochkor In Boots

No quarter was given to the well-known media personality. Since he was five minutes late from the arranged time, the commander of the training base – in accordance with the traditions of the institute – imposed a punishment of ten press-ups per minutes late (that is to say, fifty) on the radio presenter, which he had to perform during the morning exercises.

For Gábor Bochkor’s training day began with a morning exercise, similarly to the contractual soldiers partaking in the basic training at the Central Training Base Szentendre. A few minutes after half past six a.m. ‘Private’ Bochkor, dressed in sports gear, joined the 2nd training company, whose soldiers began their three-month long training at the base four weeks ago, on 1st July.

The company – led by non-commissioned training officer Antal Grossmann and moving in formation – , after a few circles of running switched to gymnastics; at this moment had the presenter of the programme ‘Boomerang’ the opportunity to perform the press-ups, received as a punishment. All of this at the light of the rising sun, we had to add.

The one-day training, in accordance with military traditions, proceeded with the hoisting of the flag; afterwards the effective force of the training base – together with the teachers and students of HDF ‘Pál Kinizsi’ NCO Training School, also stationed at the Szentendre garrison – lined up on the formation area. They waited here the arrival of Dr. Imre Szekeres, Minister of Defence, who wanted to oversee the training of the popular radio presenter personally. The presenter came here dressed in practice uniform – that is to say, playing with words, Bochkor put on boots (Bochkor, or ‘bocskor’ is a kind of footwear in Hungarian).

"I don’t want to shout, for I stand among three hundred soldiers, and they are making eyes at me", said Gábor Bochkor, when he called in to the morning show Boomerang on phone. Though it is forbidden to use a phone while standing in formation, this time Gábor was given permission from General Isaszegi to keep the radio’s audience posted about the happenings of the day. And although the duo of Lajos Boros and János Voga tried to learn as much of the training as possible, the interview had to be terminated shortly, since the sound of the signal reminded the soldiers that the principal is coming…

“Look at that! A familiar face!" – smiled Imre Szekeres, when – while he was, together with General Isaszegi, getting acquainted with the lined-up subunit commanders – he noticed Gábor Bochkor standing in the line, to whom naturally he wished success in accomplishing the training.

After having breakfast in the company of the Minister, Gábor Bochkor’s training continued with armament technological learning, in the framework of which the prospective contractual soldiers practiced the dismantling and assembly of type AK-63D machine gun. Of course not every movement was perfect for the first time, but Sergeant First Class György Kalányos, leader of the class, assisted gladly the somewhat embarrassed radio presenter. At the end of the class György Kalányos said, that at the time the training is finished all of them would be able to dismantle their own machine guns in half a minute.

After the classroom activity the KKB’s officers and non-commissioned officers didn’t spare private Bochkor either. The presenter first had to make himself familiar with the rules of saluting, than with the activities done in response to command words ‘attention!’ and ‘at ease!’, and lastly with the proper way of stepping out from formation.

"Private Bochkor! Over here!" – issued the command Major General János Isaszegi – who supervised the formation activities personally – more than once, and he was not above correcting even the slightest of mistakes. While the presenter was practicing the performance of saluting properly, István Bocskai, spokesman of the Ministry of Defence, answering to journalists’ inquiries, told: so far the radio presenter performed eminently all the tasks, which are needed to become a contractual soldier, either infantryman or pilot.

However, the highlight of the day-long training was undoubtedly the activity at the obstacle course. ‘Private’ Bochkor had to perform the task together with the troops of the basic training company.

"When I saw the obstacle course, even I doubted if I would be able to carry out all of this. There are a few complicated exercises", answered the radio presenter to the inquiry of honvedelem.hu, after overcoming the obstacles – assigned to him by 1st Lieutenant Gergely Cseh – two times.

"Naturally I didn’t come here to Szentendre with the intention of making fun while training, but I myself was surprised, how hard this preparation is, and how tired I got at the end", tells Bocsi, who revealed also that he never had been a soldier, but now he has some view of what he had been left out. Even though today’s army is completely different, a lot more professional than the one at that time when he was of military age.

At the end of the all-day training programme, Major General János Isaszegi, appraising the work of the somewhat exhausted Bochkor, said: naturally the radio presenter had not become a soldier after performing the day’s tasks, but through his example everyone can see, how serious theoretical and practical training waits those who want to become contractual soldiers of the Hungarian Defence Forces.

The commander of the Training Base emphasized: all the trainers liked the radio presenter’s attitude, that he carried out the tasks without a word and to the best of his abilities.

Of course, Gábor Bochkor’s training has not ended with the programme at Szentendre. The second part will take place on Wednesday; than the presenter will get acquainted with the Jak-52 training aircraft at the Szolnok Military Airfield.

Naturally, we will report on the all-day training at Szolnok.