“The Superior Arrives!”

During a discussion with Maj.-Gen. Bernd Schütt, Commander, ISAF Regional Command North (ISAF RC-N), Gábor Böröndi said, among other things, that the planning of the contingents’ transformation was in progress, in tandem and in coordination with the end and transformation of ISAF operations.

At the discussion, the chief of the HDF land forces reasserted that Hungary continues to participate in the Afghanistan mission with a smaller troop contribution than before, but on the same high level. The Hungarian Defence Forces are ready to carry on with their advisory tasks, and the HDF Military Advisory Team (MAT) and the HDF Logistic Mentor Team (LMT) are also prepared to conduct further missions.

The second rotation of the HDF Military Advisory Team (MAT-2) arranged and provided escort for a visit of the Hungarian delegation to the Afghan National Civil Police (ANCOP) 3rd Brigade. Here the brigade commander welcomed the visitors and thanked the Hungarian troops for their effective and useful advisory role, then they went together to see the pool of military vehicles and weapon arsenal of the unit.

On the next leg of the brigadier-general’s weeklong tour, he visited the third rotation of the HDF Special Operations Contingent (SOC-3), where the contingent commander briefed him about the tasks of the Combined Special Operations Task Force 10 (CSOTF-10) and the Special Operations Task Group–East (SOTG-E), and also about the operations completed. After visiting the base of the Provincial Response Company (PRC) of the Afghan National Police, the members of the delegation went to inspect the billeting area of the HDF Special Operations Group (SOG), where they shown the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as well.

Both in Kabul and Mazar-e Sharif, the Hungarian soldiers serving on the staff of the field hospital and in individual positions reported about their living and working conditions, since this kind of direct communication provided them with opportunity to give a more detailed picture of their tasks in Afghanistan.

Speaking at a staff meeting held in Camp Marmal, Mazar-e Sharif, Brig.-Gen. Gábor Böröndi talked about what the homecoming soldiers can expect at home in Hungary. He highlighted the new system of professional development which offers novel opportunities, and the key role of mobility. With the introduction of a new, more precise and more objective system of performance evaluation, the HDF JFC intends to make sure that the right men serve in the right positions, and that they have opportunity for professional development at home and on foreign missions alike.

The HDF Land Forces Chief inspected the Hungarian logistic forces too in Afghanistan, and praised the work of the HDF National Support Element (NSE), adding that they can manage the full-scale logistic support of the contingents deployed in the theatre with a few items of equipment, making use of international transportation options.