KFOR-3 To Control Road Traffic
Szöveg: Lt. Láda Mónika | 2010. április 19. 6:37The troops selected for the third rotation of the KFOR contingent have begun their second week of training at the HDF 5th ‘István Bocskai’ Infantry Brigade. As Lieutenant Colonel László Attila Kanyó said at the review held in pouring rain in the parade ground of Hódmezõvásárhely, 284 troops have started the preparations but less will go to Kosovo.
"Everyone has an equal chance to participate in the mission, but during the training we will keep track of the attitude and professional development of personnel, and only the best will carry out peacekeeping tasks in the Balkans for six months." A considerable part of the troops, organised in task forces, are from the 3rd ’Miklós Bercsényi’ Infantry Battalion of Hódmezõvásárhely, but there are quite a lot of soldiers – among them 33 women – from other corps as well.
In the first two weeks of the training they are focusing on theory, and within that, the topic of the first session on Monday will be road traffic control. When he is not preparing for Kosovo, Sergeant First Class Róbert Bársony, the squad commander of Pál Maléter MP Battalion, HDF Support Brigade carries out traffic control tasks every day. In the morning session Sergeant First Class Bársony, who has also completed a vehicle accident scene investigation training, told the soldiers about the most important questions of road traffic. The 34-year-old professional non-commissioned officer said that road traffic control is needed in the event of convoy and delegation escort. They have to prevent civilian vehicles from joining the motorcade because it is more difficult for military vehicles to stop. It is also important that traffic coming from the opposite direction often has to draw back because certain vehicles are wider than the road. Basically, the aim of road traffic control is to prevent accidents and get the convoy from one place to the other safely.
Sergeant First Class Bársony showed the troops the regular road traffic control hand signals which apply to military personnel and civilians alike – they are used when entering or exiting traffic, stopping or starting vehicles, and controlling turns. Road traffic controllers have to wear a high visibility vest all the time, and they can be recognised by their white belts as well. They hold a baton and wear high visibility wristbands. In case there is an accident, road traffic controllers can prevent further injuries by applying the current rules of the Highway Code.
