The Success Of An Army Lays In Efficient Training

On Friday, a graduation ceremony was held for contractual troops who have completed a 14-week basic training in Szentendre, at HDF Central Training Base (MH KKB). The friends and family members of the servicemen were also present, and before the ceremony they had a chance to say a few words to the soldiers lined up in formation on the parade ground of the training base. The relatives could also take a few pictures.

The superior, that is Minister of Defence Dr. Imre Szekeres – accompanied by General (Eng,) László Tömböl, MoD Chief of Defence Staff and MH KKB Commander Major General (Eng.) Dr. János Isaszegi – entered the parade ground at 10.30 sharp.

Following the report, the formal greeting of the troops, and the national anthem, Maj.Gen. Isaszegi greeted the guests. He said that this ceremony was held for two reasons: on the one hand, following the successful examinations, the contractual personnel who started their basic training on 3 March will leave the Szentendre barracks and return to their respective corps. On the other hand, this personnel assembly also serves to express gratitude for the work of those troops who participated in the implementation of the OSCE review conducted on 27 May.

– The success and the successful operation of a military lays in efficient training. For education, training, and knowledge are real assets – Defence Minister Imre Szekeres started his speech, also mentioning that the soldiers say about Szentendre that it is the gate of the Hungarian Defence Forces. For nearly all professional and contractual troops make their first military moves and are given the basic training here. And those soldiers who have just completed basic training have crossed this symbolic gate and entered the Hungarian Defence Forces.

During the past decades, the words Szentendre and military training have merged. This is where all the contractual troops, future officers and non-commissioned officers experience organized military life for the first time, as stipulated in the regulations. The servicemen and women join their corps with the knowledge and experience they had acquired in the base. To the corps which provide the groundwork and the most important units of national defence – said the defence minister, adding: in the past few months, years the defence forces have become a predictable and stable employer. Joining up is a transparent and clear process, future career steps are visible, can be planned and shaped, and leaving the system can also be planned.

It is an important fact – added Imre Szekeres – that there is a growing interest in the military in our country. There are more and more people who would like to become the members of a stable, predictable, and modern organization. Therefore in the future the number of personnel will be increased, vacant positions will be filled and new employment opportunities will be created. And for this very reason, education and training will be more important than ever before.

– I know that the first impressions are also determining in the long term, and the impressions of first three months spent here accompany the career of a soldier all the way to the end – said Imre Szekeres, adding: as a result of today’s security situation, training and the Hungarian professionals serving in this field are more appreciated. In order to have the highest possible number of experienced troops serving in the Hungarian army, it is essential to lay good groundworks. And in the Hungarian Defence Forces, these good groundworks are laid here in Szentendre, at HDF Central Training Base.

The graduation ceremony of contractual servicemen and women continued with handing over recognitions and awards for the troops. From the personnel enlisting on 3 March, the ’best trained contractual soldier’ title has been awarded to Pvt. Sándor Dhien, and Pvt. Viktória Fall earned the ’sportiest contractual soldier’ title. The cup founded for the ’most outstanding instructor’ was handed over by Minister of Defence Dr. Imre Szekeres to Sergeant First Class János Krecz this time.

As a recognition for their excellent work in the successful implementation of the OSCE review conducted on 27 May, several soldiers of MH KKB were given presents of appreciation, handed over by General László Tömböl, Chief of the Defence Staff.

The Szentendre graduation ceremony ended with the tunes of Szózat (the ’second national anthem’) and a slow parade march. The troops who have successfully completed their basic training proved ’live’ that in the past 14 weeks, they had also mastered the requirements of marching in formation.