Soldiers of Five Nations Exercising at Ócsa
Szöveg: Szabolcs Nyulas | 2017. szeptember 27. 9:00Altogether 73 soldiers from five nations are participating in the SOFT CAPS 2017 tactical exercise on the Ócsa training base. On Thursday, 21 September Lt.-Col. István Guba, Deputy Commander, HDF Civil-Military Cooperation and Psychological Operations Centre informed us about the two-week training program.
The lieutenant-colonel told us that working under the supervision of US mentors, the CIMIC and PSYOPS teams composed of Hungarian, Slovak, Slovenian and Polish soldiers are exercising in a fictitious scenario. In this scenario, UN intervention becomes necessary because of a conflict between two neighboring countries, and the soldiers have to attain their objectives in a situation that is basically other than war. The teams are mainly tasked with preparing and conducting negotiations with local leaders (whose roles are played by (vice-)mayors of nearby settlements), and the representatives of governmental and non-governmental organizations.
The tasks are aimed at enabling the participating nations’ tactical teams to obtain a comprehensive picture via communication (more precisely, negotiation), which they can contribute to the commanders’ decision-making process, and the support of the civilian environment.
The Civil Engagement Teams (CET) perform the functions of the former CIMIC and PSYOPS teams, and by combining these two military capabilities, the Hungarian Defence Forces play a trailblazing role in NATO. No other member states have undertaken to assume such a task so far, and therefore, another important objective of the exercise is to provide the participants with opportunities to work out new policies. Apart from the national and international military units, this task also involves local governments, the MoD Defence Administration Office and non-governmental organizations.
The lieutenant-colonel also told us that the soldiers serving on the staff of the Centre have a complex and dangerous mission. CIMIC and PSYOPS activities primarily consist in liaising with civilians living in the areas of operations, gathering information and supporting the decision-making process. These soldiers must speak several languages and have good communication skills and empathy. As the primary aim is other than deterrence, they move around the areas of operations in small teams, which means they are exposed to possible attacks.
Photo: László Tóth
