“Mil to Mil”

The Junior officer and NCO development program is aimed at broadening the knowledge of the officers of the Hungarian Defence Forces and increasing effectiveness between leaders and subordinates. The experienced NCOs can help in this, as the officers have to work together and cooperate with them in everyday life and in areas of operations.  

At the opening event of the program, CSM István Kriston, the Command Sergeant Major of the Hungarian Defence Forces welcomed the participants. “The State Partnership Program between the Ohio National Guard and the Hungarian Defence Forces goes back to 25 years – we have conducted numerous courses and cooperation, and we learned a lot from them", the Command Sergeant Major of the Hungarian Defence Forces said, adding that “in peacetime and in the area of operations, it is highly important that officers and NCOs work together. The aim of the present course is to increase cooperation, so that we make the generation of young officers realize that they can trust in the experienced NCOs’ knowledge and safely rely on them in making decisions. Also, NCOs must give solid support to officers."

On behalf of the US Embassy’s Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC), Colonel Brittany Stewart, Chief of the ODC welcomed the participants. In her speech, she emphasized the importance of cooperation with NCOs, and that the present course provides opportunities to do joint work and share and analyze the lessons learned.

In the first part of the course, the instructors of the Ohio National Guard delivered lectures on topics like leadership theories and communication. Putting the theoretical foundations into practice was achieved through situational training sessions, during which the officers and NCOs were put in situations they could handle together by using the already acquired theoretical foundations and their existing knowledge, and thereby practicing cooperation.