Officer Cadets and NCO Candidates Prepare for their Career in an International Environment

The exercise in Germany is the last phase of a yearly organized six-month American–Georgian combined training event (Georgia Deployment Program), during which Georgian infantry battalions are exercising along with US Marines on a Mission Rehearsal Exercise (MRE) to get ready for their participation in the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan.

The HDF Ludovika Battalion has been sending students to Germany since 2014. This year, however, NCO candidates from the HDF NCO Academy also had a chance to join the exercise. The company-strong Hungarian contingent is playing the role of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), in support of the MRE of Georgian forces to deploy for the Afghanistan mission.

The program for the first part of the three-week exercise included type conversion training for motor vehicle drivers, and a simulated roll-over training, during which the drivers and the personnel transported by them were practicing what to do and how to exit the vehicle in case it rolls over, and how to extricate each other from it.

During the trade training, among others, the future career soldiers have opportunities to learn the basics of counter-improvised explosive devices (C-IED) procedures, to use a simulator for machine gun and artillery fire requests, and to practice medical evacuation (MEDEVAC).

To facilitate movement on the training grounds, the US partner provided the Hungarian contingent with 21 HMMWVs equipped with turret-mounted machine guns and another one for the transport of materiel.

In the first phase of the exercise the Hungarians were accommodated in barrack buildings for 50 men, and later, during the dynamic portion, in heated tents of a forward operating base (FOB) set up in the training area.

The visitors’ day of the exercise, to be held on Friday, 10 February will be attended by commanders of the sending organizations.