Emotional Resiliency Training For Troops Preparing For Afghanistan

This special course was conducted by internationally recognised instructors in Budapest, in the International Training Centre of the Ministry of Justice and Law Enforcement (IRM NOK). The core topic of this new training held between March 22-26 was the technique negotiating, practiced by the participants in situations made up by instructors who have been to Afghanistan. Hostage negotiation and learning the right way to act when taken hostage were also a special part of the preparation.

With the practical exercises, the command staff could improve their problem solving skills in extreme stress situations as well. The training was useful because it helped the participants to learn the proper method of self-assessment, which urges the individual to further learning and development. This process can facilitate decision making in real situations. The staff of the PRT-9 spent the second week of the second stage at the Peace Support Training Centre (PSTC). The troops of the National Support Element (NSE) planned to be set up in Masar-e Sharif also participated in this preparatory training. The first day the attendees had to prove their eligibility, they had to take an advanced level English test including military terminology. The selected personnel of the two military organisations have also taken the opportunity to learn about each other for the sake of better cooperation in the future.

One of the main topics of the training held in Szolnok was theatre studies. The participants learned about the military geographical and geopolitical assessment of Afghanistan, the important international requirements, and the current security situation. Thanks to the presentation of the colleagues of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the soldiers have been given an overall picture of the work of NGOs working in Afghanistan, the civil representative (CIVREP) working in the Hungarian camp, and the related tasks of the PRT. The participants received first hand information about the current situation in Afghanistan from the ranking officers of the recently returned PRT-7, who also shared their personal experiences with them. This allows the immediate integration of experiences into the preparation process. Soldiers selected for key positions in the PRT-9 can gather further experiences on site, in Pol-e Khumri, before the start of the formation training. The experiences they have already gained, supplemented by this fresh knowledge, will determine the training courses of all personnel in the PRT-9 and the team building trainings beginning in the second half of May. This ensures that the preparation gives the departing troops the most.