Fort Taken Over By Military Families

Although the meteorologists did not forecast nice weather – predicting hight temperature and various showers in the Komárom area – the active and retired servicemen and women of the Hungarian Defence Forces, and their families were still enthusiastic about the 7th National Assembly of Military Families. According to the most cautious estimates were at least five thousand people who were interested in the whole-day program.

In the parking lot in front of Fort of Monostor the ‘full’ sign could have been put up in the middle of the morning. Families were arriving from everywhere: there were some who came ‘from the other side of the country’, from Debrecen, Hódmezõvásárhely, or Kaposvár. They departed early so that they would be in Komárom by ‘fort opening’, that is by 8 o’clock in the morning, and not miss a thing… And the cars just kept coming.

The whole-day program was officially opened at 10 in the morning by the ’superiors’ surrounded by majorettes. General (Eng.) László Tömböl, the Chief of the Defence Staff of MoD emphasized in his welcome speech: the leaders of the Hungarian Defence Forces believe that there is a need for such events. Since it is necessary that military families – active and retired servicemen, their family members, husbands and wifes, and the children – gather at least for one day and unwind.

– There is an extremely difficult period behind us, and the coming months will not be too easy either. I wish all of you a very good time – said General László Tömböl, the host of the event.

On behalf of the Defence Minister, the event was opened and the fort was handed over to the military families for a day by Dr. Károly Füredi, State Secretary responsible for defence planning and infrastructure.

– It is already a tradition that the leaders, commanders, and the military organizations of the Hungarian Defence Forces meet every year in the framework of this family day. Today the majority of the troops can unwind, have fun, and relax actively because this day is about them – Dr. Károly Füredi said, adding: the site of the event, Fort of Monostor in Komárom is the memento of Hungarian military history. It is a good example of the fact that military culture is also a part of the cultural heritage of the nation. Those dealing with national defence day by day cannot forget about the glorious past of the army, the most important episodes of military history, and the related sites.

– I do not think you can meet someone here today who does not find a suitable program – a non-commissioned officer from Szolnok replied to me when I asked him about how he was. He showed me: his two golden-haired children did not stop for a second, they were running from one tent to the other and simply could not get enough new experiences and things to see. Last year’s gathering was good – he added – but this year the organizers really did their best. Then he suddenly said good-bye because his family gave him an ’order’: the kids wanted to see the music clown and try the playing ground, and naturally, balloon-folding as well. Not to speak about face-painting. So he had to go with them…

Indeed, at the 7th National Assembly of Military Families no one was bored. For whom the static display of the technical equipment and armaments of the Hungarian Defence Forces was not exciting enough could take delight in the warships of HDF 1st EOD and Warship Battalion on the Danube. Or they could visit the Fort Museum, and take part in one of the dungeon tours.

– The kids have been nagging me for a week, saying that they want to sit in the cockpit of a helicopter again, because last time, when a rotary wing aircraft landed in the Szentes barracks and they had a chance to examine it closely they liked it very much. Therefore they were very glad when in the fort they also found a Mi–24 combat helicopter ’camouflaged’ as a deer – tells me a young officer of the engineering battalion. He added: his wife on the other hand is excited about Edvin Marton’s concert, since the popular violinist is one of her favourite artists. Just like Tamás Hevesi or Back To Black, who were also performing on the stage in the ‘court’ of the fort. What he wanted to see on the other hand was the display of Zoltán Veres, the world champion aerobatics pilot – and he was not disappointed at all. He was watching the spectacular display often defying the laws of physics with an open mouth.

The corporal who came from Tata and his family wanted to get away from the ’grey’ weekdays a bit and spend some time with active relaxation. And he said they could do it in the Fort of Monostor. For even the building itself – visited by them for the first time ever – fascinated them and they believe the programs were absolutely perfect as well. The head of the family was eager to see the hand-to-hand combat demonstration and the camp of the hussars, but he also visited the demining warship moored at the bank of the Danube. His wife was amazed by the show of military bands, even their one-year-old daugher was laughing and dancing to the performance of the wind bands.

Of course we could put together a long list of the other programs awaiting those who came to Komárom’s Fort of Monostor on Saturday, but it is not necessary. And it is not necessary either to decide what the most popular program was. For the airsoft competition, the formal display of honour troops accompanied by music, and the medieval marketplace also attracted hundreds of visitors, just like the free blood sugar testing and health care consultation of the HDF Health Care Centre, or the stew-pot cooking competition. Those who were thirsty could get refreshments in several places all over the fort, because the troops of the water purification company of Szentes distributed hundreds of bags of drinking water. Moreover, the organizers did not forget about the elderly either – they could enter a chess competition and play cards in the ’nest for the retired’. And in the meantime they were recalling the old stories about the military, the funny or sometimes sad events.

Fortunately, the rain also had mercy on the hundreds of soldiers in the fort. And even though there was an occasion when the announcer warned the audience that soon a heavy shower would reach the area and the guests can find a shelter in the dungeons, the dark clouds left the town eventually. And since the meteorologists of HDF Geoinformation Service on site were continuously monitoring the satellite pictures, the approaching rain clouds were immediately detected.

It must also be mentioned that the military families attending the event were not left hungry, for the chefs of the Tata infantry brigade had cooked more than seven thousand portions of ‘soldierly lunch’, in other words, bean goulash. They had used more than 200 kilograms of beef and 150 kilograms of ham for the dish.

’We hope that we will meet again the same place, next year!’ – many said when the program ended. For all of them agreed that the ’small’ families comprising the ’big’ family of the Hungarian Defence Forces feel the need to come together once a year, to have fun and relax. And to enjoy the company of each other in this wonderful place, in Komárom’s Fort of Monostor…