“They Were Doing Their Duty”

Szöveg: hm.gov.hu | 2010. augusztus 31. 8:33

Lt. (Med.) Dr. Fruzsina Dani – a servicewoman seriously injured during an attack on a Hungarian military convoy that took place in Afghanistan on August 23 – gave a short press conference in the presence of Defence Minister Dr. Csaba Hende and Lt-Gen. Tibor Benkõ, Chief, MoD Defence Staff on August 29, shortly after the mortal remains of posthumous Second-Lieutenant Judit Ábrahám Pappné were received with military honors in Kecskemét, Hungary.

Speaking at the press conference held at the HDF 59th Szentgyörgyi Dezsõ Air Base, Lt. (Med.) Dr. Fruzsina Dani first of all expressed her condolences to the deceased servicewoman’s family and hope for a quick recovery of a serviceman who had been very seriously injured in the attack. She said she could not recollect the details of the ambush because she had partial amnesia due to an explosion. The convoy she was travelling in hit the road to leave the HUN PRT Camp Pannonia at dawn on August 23. Shortly after their departure they got a radioed message that warned them of gunmen hiding beside the road. Acting in line with the SOP they stepped on the gas. As for what happened thereafter, she can hardly recall anything else beyond a huge explosion.

“On coming around I noticed that two of my comrades had been seriously injured. After examining them, I concluded that they received very serious head wounds. I was not able to establish anything else on the spot. I did everything I was able to do on the scene", the medical officer recalled, saying she is very grateful to the driver and the vehicle commander who did not panic but rather were doing their duty all along. In the wake of the explosion they immediately speeded up and left the danger zone.

The lieutenant – who had suffered serious injuries in the attack – added that when the convoy stopped, their comrades immediately came to their help and started treating the wounded. Afterwards the reinforcements also arrived at the scene. Lt. (Med.) Dr. Fruzsina Dani said three soldiers had been sitting in the backseat of the ambushed vehicle, namely the war heroine posthumous Second-Lieutenant Judit Ábrahám Pappné, WO György Kolozsvári (who has been very seriously injured) and she herself. The vehicle commander, who was sitting next to the driver, also sustained serious injuries. Fortunately the driver of the Toyota Land Cruiser was not seriously hurt in the attack.

Lt. (Med.) Fruzsina Dani stressed that she was in relatively good shape considering the circumstances. She has shrapnel in her body of which one piece must be removed in a couple of weeks. She said that having been transported back to Camp Pannonia, the soldiers wounded in action were taken to the ward of the US Army Forward Surgical Team. There she was treated by Hungarian army physicians to whom she is very grateful, just like to those Hungarian doctors who tended her in the German field hospital subsequently.

Answering a journalist’s question Dr. Fruzsina Dani said for the time being she could not tell if she would return to Afghanistan because she needs some time to make up her mind.

At the end of the press conference Defence Minister Dr. Csaba Hende pointed out that he was proud of the Hungarian troops who immediately took action to do their duty in the aftermath of a vile attack launched from ambush. Instead of panicking, the driver and the vehicle commander immediately decided on leaving the danger zone. Acting in line with her military and Hippocratic oaths, the lieutenant was doing her best to help the injured.

A military convoy of the Baghlan-based Hungarian Provincial Reconstruction Team (HUN PRT) came under attack in Afghanistan on August 23 at 1:30 GMT. Staff Sergeant Judit Ábrahám Pappné was killed in action during the ambush. On August 23 Defence Minister Dr. Csaba Hende promoted the servicewoman to posthumous Second-Lieutenant and declared her the war heroine of the Hungarian Defence Forces. One soldier suffered very serious injuries while another two service personnel received long-term shrapnel wounds. The latter included Lt. (Med.) Dr. Fruzsina Dani who started treating her wounded comrades during the attack while not caring about her own injuries. The signed-on lieutenant arrived in Hungary with the eight rotation of the HUN PRT and subsequently underwent a medical examination at the Military Hospital, Budapest in the evening of August 26. As she is in relatively good shape, she was able to inform the press about the details at a press conference held on August 29.