„Fly the Hungarian Flag High in Afghanistan!”

Szöveg: hm.gov.hu | 2010. szeptember 17. 7:01

Nearly one hundred troops lined up in desert combat uniforms at the Kecskemét Air Base in the afternoon of September 15. The Hungarian servicemen are going to depart for Afghanistan where they will serve in the staff officer group at the Kabul International Airport (KAIA) or as mentors in the NATO ISAF Combat Service Support (CSS) Logistics School. Defence Minister Dr. Csaba Hende addressed the Hungarian contingent with a farewell speech.

The Hungarian troops who were bidden farewell at the HDF 59th Szentgyörgyi Dezsõ Air Base on September 15 will be doing their tour of duty in Afghanistan from late September to March 2011. The members of the KAIA staff officer group and the mentors of the ISAF CSS Logistics School lined up for the ceremonial staff meeting.

Defence Minister Dr. Csaba Hende, LTG Tibor Benkõ, Chief, MoD Defence Staff and Ms. Dezsõné Szentgyörgyi, the widow of the eponym of the Kecskemét unit honored the farewell ceremony of the troop rotation with their presence.

“This runway behind my back is the gateway to Hungary, your homeland that you are about to leave. Remember that you will return home to this very same place! When you land on a similar airport at the end of your journey, you will have reached a gateway to another country. You will be tasked to protect and control that gateway" – this was how Dr. Csaba Hende started his speech. The Defence Minister added that the ISAF mission in Afghanistan is changing before our eyes from one day to the next. The situation is growing increasingly tense and is different in each minute.

“The fight against terrorism is in our national interest. The Hungarian troops are present in Afghanistan to assist with reconstructing and consolidating the country after an extreme dictatorship and a bloody war, so that the Afghans can govern their own state in a system of representative democracy and the resulting stable Afghan state could no longer be a source of instability on an international scale", the Defence Minister added.

We intervened in Afghanistan together with our allies, so we will collectively decide what our next steps should be. Until then we are carrying out our duties there because our common security is our common responsibility", Dr. Csaba Hende stated, noting that we must appropriately assert the interests and values we are fighting for together with our allies.

“You are Hungarian soldiers, so fly the Hungarian flag high in Afghanistan! Do your duties conscientiously and bravely while accomplishing all your tasks! It is through your work that our allies and the local people will get to know the Hungarian nation", the Defence Minister stated, and went on to say “You are tasked with executing a very complex professional military mission. You have been drawn from among the best troops of the Hungarian Defence Forces so that you can learn lessons in real-life situations as well."

Dr. Csaba Hende said that Hungary has been assigned this key mission for the second time, which is a very apt riposte to all those who attempt to disparage the capabilities and performance of the Hungarian Defence Forces.

“Don’t forget that you are Hungarian servicemen above all! You must know that we will never let anybody down! I am going to be informed about the latest developments in your mission on a daily basis. We are making major efforts to upgrade your equipment and improve your Force Protection capability", the Defence Minister stated.

Protestant field chaplain Brig-Gen. Dr. Pál Lakner also addressed the troops of the Hungarian ISAF contingent. The general, who is a member of the Hungarian contingent himself recited a nearly 1,000-year-old pilgrim song, saying “We are departing in the name of the Lord, let his angel show us the way".

The farewell ceremony at Kecskemét concluded with the Szózat (second national anthem).