OMLT: Training for Realistic Situations

The Hungarians spent the first days of the training in Germany by attending classroom instruction to learn the basics of Afghan culture and to acquaint themselves with the activities in the theatre of war. Concurrently, the nominated personnel received a number of radio sets and twelve HMMVWs that were provided for the contingent.

At the base the drivers mastered the maneuvering techniques with the HMMWVs and practiced and developed their driving skills. In addition, they learnt the basics of mentoring – the most important task in Afghanistan – both in theory and practice, and practiced complex C-IED actions, the handling of basic weapons and the requests for fire support and CAS.

In what followed, the staff of the contingent was introduced to the steps of the military decision-making process, and in a later phase it had opportunity to practice it by mentoring an ad hoc battalion headquarters. In the meantime, the troops of the executive subunit were rehearsing tactical missions, with a Romanian subunit playing the role of the “ANA-battalion" being mentored.

To ensure the best possible simulation of the realistic situations during the culmination exercise, they formed a battalion with a mentor team assigned to it. The Hungarian troops “took an exam" in the tasks that they will have to carry out in Afghanistan.

“During the exercise the battalion has accomplished its mission", Maj. István Tóth said. The designated commander of the OMLT-8 contingent added that the training had been useful, since the realistic imitated situations truly reflected the ones that they may encounter on their tour of duty abroad.