New Commanders in MFO

After four years of service, Maj.-Gen. Warren James Whiting handed over the MFO Force Commander’s responsibilities to his successor, Canadian Maj.-Gen. Denis Thompson at a ceremony. In his speech, the outgoing general thanked the Hungarians for performing military police duties by high standards.

The new Force Commander introduced himself to the Hungarian soldiers at a staff meeting held in the North Camp. He said that during his two-year service, he considered it his responsibility to maintain his soldiers’ professionalism, the cohesion of the contingents and the success of MFO.

At the staff meeting, having completed his one-year tour of duty, Lt.-Col. Attila Nagy, the commanding officer of the Hungarian contingent said farewell to Hungarian soldiers. His successor, Lt.-Col. Géza Ócsai – the chief of staff of the HDF vitéz Szurmay Sándor Budapest Garrison Brigade 32nd National Ceremonial Unit – has extensive experience gained in foreign missions, as he has served in Iraq and Afghanistan among others.

At the staff meeting, the new contingent commander said that his plans for his one-year service include the further improvement of the international image of the Hungarian contingent deployed in the Sinai. He stressed that due to the volatile security situation, he would pay special attention to force protection.

The rotation of the Hungarian contingent took place in mid-March. First the key leaders arrived in the area of operations, and then the other members of the rotation also arrived. Having obtained their MFO driving licenses, the personnel participated in convoy operations and EOD training, and started integrating into daily life.

In the last days of March, MFO Chief of Staff Col. Thomas W. O’Steen attended the medal parade of the Hungarian contingent, where he thanked the soldiers and policemen serving with previous rotations for their work, and awarded tokens of appreciation.

Photos by the author