Ohio National Guard State Command Sergeant Major Visits Ludovika Battalion

The Hungarian Defence Forces have been cooperating with the Ohio National Guard for more than 20 years now. Their regular contact is not confined to official visits and exchange of experiences, as the two forces are co-deployed on foreign missions in countries like, for example, Afghanistan, where they were recently running a joint operational mentor and liaison team (OMLT). The last official visit took place in last September, at the invitation of Hungarian Chief of Defence Gen. Dr. Tibor Benkő, when Ohio National Guard Adjutant General Maj.-Gen. Mark E. Bartman was also received by Minister of Defence István Simicskó.

This April, in accordance with the annual schedule of the Ministry of Defence, CSM Rodger Jones, Ohio National Guard State Command Sergeant Major headed a delegation of US senior enlisted leaders to Hungary. The list of members shows the significance of the delegation, since it includes CSM William Workley, CMSgt. Brian Wear, CMSgt. Christopher Combs, MSgt. John P. Thompson (the senior NCO at the US Embassy Budapest), and Maj. Dan Davis, a representative of the Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC). Besides CSM István Kriston, Command Sergeant Major of the Hungarian Defence Forces, the Hungarian delegation attending the event included CSM Tibor Négyesi, Command Sergeant Major of the HDF Joint Force Command. The primary goal of the delegations was to exchange experiences and further strengthen cooperation. The senior enlisted leader first held a lecture at the HDF NCO Academy, and then visited the HDF 1st EOD and Warship Regiment as well as the military units stationed in Szolnok.

On Thursday, CSM Rodger Jones paid a visit to the HDF Ludovika Battalion at the invitation of CSM István Kriston, Command Sergeant Major of the Hungarian Defence Forces. The Ohio National Guard State Command Sergeant Major was received by Battalion Commander Col. Zsolt Molnár and CSM Tamás Zsiros, the command sergeant major of the unit. The visit had multiple goals. The American guests were given a glimpse of the structure of officer training in Hungary and exchanged experiences with their Hungarian colleagues. After the discussion, CSM Rodger Jones held a lecture for the 3rd and 4th grade officer cadets of the battalion about the relations between subordinates and superiors in the system of the US military, and between those holding equivalent status, with regard to officers and NCOs. For the officer cadets, the lecture gave a picture of the place and role of senior enlisted leaders in the organization, and also provided guidance on the significance of NCOs from the junior officer’s point of view.

The American delegation finished its visit by attending the opening ceremony of the 3rd Ludovika Competition.

Photo: Tünde Rácz