Change of Director in NATO MILMED COE

The change of director ceremony held in the HDF Medical Centre was attended by Deputy Minister Tamás Vargha, Parliamentary State Secretary of the Ministry of Defence and Deputy Chief of Defence Lt.-Gen. Dr. Zoltán Orosz.

In his speech, the MoD State Secretary emphasized the special status of the institution. He stated that the Centre plays a very important role in the NATO transformation process. “The expert staff of the Centre is working in the interest of interoperability, and has produced some outstanding achievements. We are especially proud to know that this work is being done here in Budapest", Tamás Vargha pointed out.

Outgoing Director Brig.-Gen. Stefan Kowitz talked about the scientific and practical educational work under his leadership. “We have organized courses for more than 600 students, held ten scientific conferences and published some 600 scientific publications in two years", he noted, adding that the Centre would not have been able to work by such high professional standards without Hungary’s extensive support and contribution. “I would like to thank the host nation for the assistance. The greatest strength of the NATO MILMED COE lies in its staff and level of organization", Stefan Kowitz concluded his speech and said farewell to his audience in Hungarian, telling them that “Hungary will remain forever in my heart."

Stefan Kowitz’ successor has long been working in the Centre. Col. Dr. László Fazekas has been participating in the organization and structuring of the NATO MILMED COE since the beginnings. “I have worked here for eight years now. I worked in the team that was already here when the Centre was established. The MILMED COE has turned from vision to reality, an organization with a full-fledged structure. I am taking over from my predecessor an operational institution with an adequate structure, and will continue his work with pleasure", the new director of the NATO MILMED COE said.

At the ceremony, Parliamentary State Secretary Tamás Vargha presented Brig.-Gen. Dr. Stefan Kowitz with the Gold Grade of the Service Medal for his purposeful and dedicated work.

A number of Centres of Excellence work with NATO’s coordination around the world. These Centres are special military institutions that specialize in one functional area where they offer recognized experience and expertise for NATO in order to further its development. In 2009, Hungary received a NATO accreditation that allowed the establishment of the Centre of Excellence for Military Medicine in Budapest. This institution has a continuously expanding set of tasks, but its core functions have not changed since its establishment, so the main priorities are to provide training in military medicine, to develop standards and concepts and to analyze the lessons learned in the areas of operations. The Centre is responsible for providing NATO commanders with support in the field of military medicine, and also takes part in the activities of the NATO working groups. At present, the Centre has nine sponsoring nations that assist with its workings, including Belgium, the Czech Republic, Great Britain, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Romania and Hungary. The United States of America is expected to join the Centre in the near future.

Every other year, the NATO MILMED COE holds its own Exercise Vigorous Warrior. This training program is an integral part of the NATO program and its purpose is to test interoperability and the viability of multinational solutions in the field of military medicine. The last iteration of the exercise took place in the Czech Republic in 2015, and the following is to be held in Germany next year.

The Ministry of Defence of Hungary provides 60% of the personnel and budget of the Centre. The NATO MILMED COE closely cooperates with the organizations of the Hungarian Defence Forces, first of all with the HDF Medical Centre. The efficiency of the institution is shown by the fact that in 2015, the Committee of the Chiefs of Medical Services in NATO (COMEDS) gave the Centre the Dominique Jean Larrey Award, the highest honor that COMEDS can bestow. It is given to individuals or organizations in recognition of their significant and lasting contribution to NATO’s medical transformation, its multi-nationality and/or interoperability or to improvements in the provision of health care in NATO missions within the areas of military medical support or military healthcare development.

The first director the MILMED COE was Col. (MD) Dr. István Kopcsó, who was in charge of the institution from the preparations of its establishment until September 2013. Since then, the positions of director and deputy director are filled in a rotating system by the Bundeswehr and the Hungarian Defence Forces under an agreement between the two nations’ Chiefs of Defence. Col. Kopcsó was succeeded by Brig.-Gen. (MD) Dr. Stefan Kowitz in the MILMED COE director’s position, and from 14 July 2016, once again another Hungarian soldier, Col. (MD) Dr. László Fazekas is in charge of the institution. His deputy is a German senior officer, Col. (MD) Dr. Salvatore Schmidt.

Photo: Mária Krasznai-Nehrebeczky