Decorations for flood protection

Besides the defence minister, Lt.Gen. Tibor Benkõ, Chief of Defence Staff, MoD, Maj.Gen. József Kovács, Commander, Joint Forces Command, HDF, Dr. Gábor Szarka, Head of the Cabinet Office, MoD, and Maj.Gen. Ferenc Palásti, the adjutant of the President of the Republic also handed over recognitions.

This summer the Hungarian Defence Forces participated with the biggest team ever in the largest scale flood protection activities Hungary has seen in recent decades. In the coming days, all the 4,560 troops will receive the service sign introduced by the minister, and every fourth serviceman will be given a financial reward as well. Today corps in the eastern region, the troops of the HDF Support Brigade, and the students of the national defence university were present at the ceremony in Debrecen, where defence minister Dr. Csaba Hende pointed out in his address: "As a community, the Hungarian nation has performed excellently in this trouble. The country has responded and everybody contributed with something to protection and recovery. The fact that the military community has done a great job again makes me very happy and proud. The thing our forefathers used to call nobleness, military virtue, was shining brightly. Where the troops arrived, the situation became less complicated. You have clearly proved that you are servicemen: Hungarian soldiers performing their duty."

On behalf of the hosts, the inhabitants of Debrecen, mayor Lajos Kósa expressed his hope that the government and the National Assembly will create the necessary conditions for the operation of the Hungarian Defence Forces with the proper number of personnel and at a proper level of technical preparedness. Lajos Kósa personally handed over the decorations to the troops of Debrecen-based ‘István Bocskai’ Infantry Brigade. Soldiers from Kecskemét and Szolnok also had the opportunity to shake the hands of top MoD officials. Troops in the western region will receive recognition for their efforts in flood protection in two days in Gyõr. As a worthy ending to the ceremony held with military honours, the Tata garrison band performed the march of the heroes of the flood, composed by their conductor, Cpt. Attila Balázs. The mayors of villages and towns hit by the flood were also present at the ceremony, József Füzessi, the mayor of Szikszó thanked the troops for their help and as a token of the local’s gratitude, he presented Brig.Gen. Dr. Gábor Böröndi, Commander, Debrecen corps with a painting entitled ‘Portrait of a smiling lady’.

In his address Dr. Csaba Hende also spoke about the future of Hungarian soldiers. "I expect you to be ready all the time! Be ready, in order to be able to repel every danger, threat and trouble to our sweet homeland. I promise I will do everything I can in order that you can carry out your tasks after some preparation, with proper equipment, with due respect! As defence minister, I am telling you that I trust you, and you can count on me!"