Strengthening Cooperation is a Priority

On Tuesday, June 21 MoD Parliamentary State Secretary Dr. István Simicskó received in his office Brig-Gen. Deborah A. Ashenhurst, the Adjutant General of the Ohio National Guard (ONG). At their talks, the State Secretary congratulated the brigadier-general on her appointment and praised the progress made so far in the ongoing cooperation between the Hungarian Defence Forces (HDF) and the Ohio National Guard (ONG). The two also discussed the possibilities for sharing lessons learned  between the ONG and the HDF in the field of disaster relief.

Hungary’s role in ISAF, Afghanistan was another item on the agenda of the talks, since the HDF troops have been working together with the personnel of the ONG in a combined Hungarian–US Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team (OMLT) in Baghlan Province. Speaking about the topic, Brig-Gen. Ashenhurst promised to explore the scope of cooperation for the period after 2012.

As the senior government official responsible for the development of the MoD Volunteer Reserve System (VRS), Dr. István Simicskó informed Brig-Gen. Ashenhurst about the VRS-related achievements and the future plans of the Ministry of Defence. The two agreed that by introducing the VRS, the Hungarian Defence Forces generate a new capability that is going to help make sure that national defence can become a truly national cause. With reference to that, the Adjutant General confirmed that the ONG is willing to continue sharing its professional experience to help the work of the Hungarian partners.

Photo: László Tóth