Partnership Has Helped to Deepen Military-to-Military Relations
Szöveg: honvedelem.hu / MTI | 2013. május 16. 18:30“Our partnership with the Ohio troops is one of the brightest chapters in our military history” – Minister of Defence Csaba Hende told Hungarian News Agency MTI in Washington on the occasion of a commemorative ceremony in the US Congress on Wednesday, May 15 to mark th the 20 anniversary of the start of the partnership between the Hungarian Defence Forces and the Ohio National Guard.
for European and NATO Policy noted that he had worked in the Hungarian sub-department
of the Department of Defense in 1993, when an unprecedented experiment was launched
to develop cooperation between a unit of the US military and the armed forces of a former
member state of the Warsaw Pact. Today, this military partnership has already passed the test
of cooperation in the theatre of war in Afghanistan, he said.
National Guard Bureau Chief Gen. Frank Grass pointed out that dozens of similar
partnerships have been developed along the lines of the Ohio–Hungarian partnership.
Maj.-Gen. Deborah A. Ashenhurst, the commander of the Ohio Military Reserve (OHMR)
also spoke highly of the combined deployment of Ohio and Hungarian troops in Afghanistan
to help with building up an army there.
Several speakers at the event noted that two decades ago, Ohio was chosen for partnershipbuilding because many Hungarians live in this state, especially in the area of Cleveland.
In his speech delivered at the commemoration, referring to Lajos Kossuth’s visit to the
United States in 1852 and to 1956, Minister Hende stated that “We have always felt the
sympathy and goodwill, support and help – but we all know that this is not enough in
considering the realities of mainstream politics".
He pointed out that since Hungary has regained its freedom, “we are given the chance to
work together guided by our common interests and values, in the spirit of mutual respect."
Ohio Republican Representative Steve Strivers, a colonel of the Ohio National Guard said
that partnership was helpful in deepening not only military but also personal relations and
in learning from each other. Ohio Republican Representative Mike Turner, a member of
the Armed Services Committee of the US House of Representatives, thanked Hungary for
supporting, as an ally, the cooperation between the United States and NATO.
Two co-chairs of the Hungarian caucus in the Congress also gave speeches at the
commemoration. Maryland Republican Representative Andy Harris stated that as a US citizen
of Hungarian descent, he advocates the deepening of military-to-military partnership. Ohio
Democratic Representative Marcy Kaptur talked about the expanding scope of relations
between Ohio State and Hungary, also mentioning the twin town relationship between
Miskolc and Cleveland, and Szeged and Toledo.
Also present at the ceremony was Col. (Ret.) Árpád Szurgyi, a former US military attaché
to Budapest, who had helped to start the partnership between the Ohio National Guard and the
Hungarian Defence Forces.
Speaking about the bilateral partnership, Minister Hende told Hungarian News Agency MTI
that an Afghan battalion (kandak) – trained by the joint Hungarian-led Operational Mentoring
and Liaison Team (OMLT) – had been declared “combat ready" last year.
The Minister of Defence told MTI that this autumn a Hungarian–Ohio disaster management
exercise would take place in Hungary, which would be a special one since the units of the
Serbian armed forces would also be invited to participate.
In the coming days Minister Hende will first attend a commemoration of the 20
at the Columbus headquarters of the Ohio National Guard, and then he will meet the
representatives of the Hungarians living in Cleveland, and will be present at another collective
oath of citizenship.
Photos: Anikó Farkas és Demeter Pogár (MTI)
