Three Flags To Accompany The Mission

The formal event begun with the reception of the unit flag, and the minister of defence. The organizers greeted the military and state leaders who were present, the relatives and the invited guests, and April H. Foley, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Budapest, who attended the event personally. Following the American and the Hungarian national anthem, Defence Minister Imre Szekeres delivered an address.

He has highlighted that the contingent to set off for Afghanistan will have a very significant task. They will have to provide assistance in setting up an independent Afghan army. The service of a strong army is of key importance in the establishment and stabilization of peace in Afghanistan. Therefore the troops setting off for foreign service have a huge responsibility since the better job they are doing, the stronger the Afghan army to be set up will be, thus within the foreseeable future, we will be able to transfer more and more tasks to the Afghan national forces. Within NATO, the Afghanistan mission is a priority task and we Hungarians have been contributing to that to the maximum extent from the beginning. Going to the theatre of operations and serving there is a national cause; those who are serving in Afghanistan are doing their patriotic duty. Hungarian troops’ activities on missions is accepted by society. Three-quarters of the Hungarian population agree with the foreign commitment of our soldiers.The minister has especially thanked the relatives for the support the family members have given to our troops. He has asked for this to remain the same in the future as well, since without this support those who are in foreign service cannot implement their tasks entirely and successfully.

Following that, Major General Gregory Wayt, Commander of the Ohio National Guard greeted the troops to go on mission. He said that the relations between the Hungarian Defence Forces and the Ohio National Guard have begun 16 years ago. These relations become stronger when the soldiers of the two countries participate in a joint task and set off for the Afghanistan mission side by side. They will be protecting peace there, too, so that others can live in peace and quiet as well. They will be implementing a programme of key importance when preparing the Afghan army for independent activities at a later stage. The soldiers to set off on a mission have performed well in the course of the preparation process that has just finished. This joint preparation has greatly facilitated the establishment of a good contact between the soldiers of the two nations. The good relationship that exists between the units may further strengthen the cooperation of the two armies as partners. Military families are in a special situation for the family has to serve together with the soldier. Their support is essential for those who serve in distant areas.

As a closure, he handed over three flags to the Hungarian commander of the contingent, Lieutenant Colonel Zsolt Molnár, and his American deputy. These flags were made by a Hungarian living in the state of Ohio, who requested that they are displayed by the troops in the camp. The formal event ended after the blessing of the units, the Hungarian poem Szózat (the ’second national anthem’), and the departure of the unit flag.