Troops Departing For Afghanistan Said Farewell In Várkanyar

This year a new element has been added to the role of the Hungarian Defence Forces in Afghanistan: from 2009, Hungarian soldiers – in cooperation with the Ohio National Guard – will be in charge of the operational preparation of the Afghan national army corps stationed in Baghlan province. The first turn of the Hungarian-led Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team (OMLT) has been preparing the 3rd battalion, 2nd brigade of the 209th Afghan division since the end of April at Kaj-lagaji barracks, south of Pol-e Khumri.

The farewell ceremony of the second OMLT turn was held on 22 June in Várkanyar, the centre of Tata. At the event – also attended by the mayor, Mr József Michl – the Hungarian and American troops to set off for Afghanistan were lining up together with the personnel of HDF 25th ’György Klapka’ Infantry Brigade. The reason why Tata, the ’Town of Waters’ hosted the farewell event was that most of the troops of the second rotation are drawn from the Tata brigade. From the personnel of the contingent, sixteen troops are from the Klapka Brigade, and fourteen are from other military organizations. Twenty-six soldiers of the Ohio National Guard have joined them.

The commander of the second turn of the OMLT is Lieutenant Colonel Szabolcs Sári, a senior officer from the operational command of HDF Joint Forces Command, for whom it is the second mission. He has already served a tour of duty in Afghanistan in a German-led Provincial Reconstruction Team. The contingent will start service on 15 July in the Asian country and their mandate expires on 31 January 2010.

– In recent years, international peacekeeping and crisis management have become fundamental national tasks for the Hungarian Defence Forces. It means that the role we undertake abroad is at least as important as regards the vindication of our foreign policy interests as our activity in the homeland – General (Eng.) László Tömböl said at the farewell ceremony.

The chief of the defence staff added: the Afghanistan operation is NATO’s first priority, and at the same time, it is the most significant mission in the history of the Alliance to date. The aim of the mission is to assist the establishment of a stable power that is able to lead the country unaided and take responsibility. For only such an administration can find a solution for dissolving the contradictions that are present in all areas of society, and bring internal stability.

General Tömböl emphasized: it is also in the interest of our allies and our country that the independent Afghan government extends its influence to the entire country as soon as possible, in a way that enables it to take over public administration duties, the Afghan police to take over the maintenance of public order, and the Afghan national army to take over the military tasks. Therefore the establishment of an efficient, well-equipped and trained national military is of vital importance as regards the creation of the independent Afghanistan. And since last December a decision was made on further increasing the number of personnel in the Afghan army, the significance of OMLTs has grown.

– Our country needs soldiers who, beyond the essential specialized military knowledge, are creative, speak other languages, and accept the difficult tasks as well. The Hungarian Defence Forces have exactly this kind of soldiers. Hungary has sent and will be sending its best and most talented soldiers on the most challenging mission – said the chief of the defence staff.

In his address to the American troops General László Tömböl underlined: the United States of America and the Republic of Hungary are important allies. They have also made an alliance for a cause that helps the Afghan national army to carry out the defence tasks of the country independently. Therefore we share the tasks, share the challenges, share the responsibility, but also share success.

At the end of his address General Tömböl also mentioned that the reason why the Afghanistan mission is especially important is that the first round of the presidential election will be held on 20 August in the Asian country. And the Afghan battalion jointly prepared by the Hungarian and the American troops will participate in guaranteeing the security of the elections, for the success of the elections is one of the basic requirements of creating stability. But we must not forget – the chief of the defence staff reminded the audience – that in Afghanistan other powers which are not interested in this stability and progress are also present. And these powers will do everything to impede the success of the elections.

Colonel Jerry Rees, the director of joint operations for the Ohio National Guard emphasized in his speech: the relations of the National Guard and Hungary started sixteen years ago, in 1993. This was the first relation of this nature in a series of relations that currently account to sixty. From the tasks carried out jointly during the past sixteen years the current one is special, since the American and the Hungarian soldiers will be working in one contingent.

– You have spent a lot of time to prepare for this mission. And the result of this preparation is excellent – Col. Rees said, adding: those who will participate in this commitment are not only the sons and daughters of two nations but also the members of a large family.

The American–Hungarian contingent to depart for Afghanistan was then blessed and sanctified by the representatives of the field chaplain services, and the farewell ceremony for the second OMLT turn ended with a parade.