Once There Was a Logistic Mentor Team

The training in the basic CSS School had three main specializations. The first was a maintenance section which trained soldiers in weapons and vehicle maintenance and basic-level repair tasks. The second was the cooking and logistics section, where the participants learned basic rules of hygiene and various recipes and acquired essential culinary skills as well as fundamental storage and materiel handling techniques. The third was the driving and transportation section, where the trainees learnt how to drive three types of motor vehicles.

The rotations of the Hungarian contingents first made some necessary modifications to the curriculum and the course requirements, and later – as part of the “Train the Trainer" programs – placed the main emphasis on instruction in teaching methods.

The tasks of the mentors were changing as time went by. At the beginning of the mission, they had to use a large amount of logistic knowledge in a given special field, but these days the trainers’ and instructors’ skills have become increasingly important as they were working to make sure that the Afghan trainers can pass on the acquired knowledge to the soldiers as effectively as possible.

With the support of the Hungarian logistic mentors, so far more than 7600 soldiers have completed a basic-level training course successfully in the CSS School. The interpreters were a great help in executing the tasks, sometimes translating between cultures as well as between languages.

At the closing ceremony of GAFTAG, the Hungarian Defence Forces were represented by Col. István Juhász, the national senior officer of the Hungarian forces in Afghanistan and Maj. Imre Bakos, Deputy Commander, HDF National Support Element – Afghanistan.

Photo: LMT-9