Welcome Back Ceremony With Division Colours

The Hungarian division the main duty of which was to ensure the safety of the elections had arrived to Afghanistan almost six months ago, on July 16. The Afghan Election Security Platoon (Afgán Választást Biztosító Szakasz, AVBSZ) joined the HDF Provincial Reconstructio Team (HDF PRT) and was working as one of the platoons of the Guard and Security Company, therefore they were also given a role in camp defence, patrolling, as well as the escort and protection of individuals and consignments.

The 40-strong contingent has recently returned from Afghanistan after finishing their deployment, and their welcome back ceremony was held on December 4 in Debrecen, in the barracks of the HDF 5th ‘István Bocskai’ Infantry Brigade. MoD Chief of Defence Staff General (eng.) László Tömböl, HDF Joint Forces Command Commander Lieutenant General Tibor Benkõ, Brigadier General Dr. Gábor Böröndi, Commander, 5th Infantry Brigade, Mr Zoltán Pajna and Mr János D. Halász, the deputy mayors of Debrecen also attended the event.

– General, I report that the Afghan Election Security Platoon has accomplished its task in the operational area, the regrouping has been completed – 1st Lieutenant Norbert Benkó, the commander of the platoon reported to the chief of the defence staff. Following that, General László Tömböl presented ’For Peacekeeping Service Insignia’ to the members of the contingent, while Lt.Gen. Tibor Benkõ awarded keepsakes to them.

In his address the chief of the defence staff said: today we pay tribute to people who have undertaken the task of giving an opportunity for a country that has suffered a lot – but wants to develop – to conduct free elections. The task the Hungarian soldiers had undertaken more than six months ago was complicated, complex, and entailed a huge responsibility. Since the whole country had been waiting for an opportunity to try to stabilize their situation, try to emerge, and guarantee a life for its citizens that is worthy of mankind, after several decades of fight and struggle.

– One of the milestones of this stabilization process was the organization of free elections, giving a chance for the population to form their opinion openly. Nevertheless, we must also know – and you have experienced it in person – that this change had and still has supporters and opponents as well in Afghanistan: the insurgents, the members of terror organizations, who were determined to cause turmoil over the elections and to make it impossible for the Afghan nation to express their opinion – said General Tömböl, who also told the guests that the Hungarian troops have fulfilled their duty with honour and have done their best. It is not the servicemen’s fault that the elections were preceded and accompanied by negative events that cannot happen in a free, democratic election process.

The chief of the defence staff emphasized: today the attention of the world is focused on Afghanistan again, just like in recent years. The McChrystal report describing the worsening of the situation in Afghanistan asked the President of the United States of America and the heads of NATO member states to support the operations in Afghanistan with further troops in order to achieve success in the coming year and a half in the fight against the rebels who want to hinder the development and construction of a country. Should this fight fail, Afghanistan can very easily fall into decay, the same situation it had been in a few years ago. This would be dangerous for the entire world, for it could start off negative tendencies in the region, leading to the destabilization of neighbouring countries.

General László Tömböl told the returned troops that the servicemen of the Hungarian Defence Forces are still needed in the missions, either in Afghanistan, Iraq, or the Western Balkans. Since the NATO and the EU require their member states to participate in these military assignments as well, depending on their power. The people living in the countries concerned need, ask for, and await their help.

General László Tömböl told the journalists after the personnel assembly that the decision on our country’s probable troop reinforcements in Afghanistan is expected the following week, after five-party consultations. In answer to the query of honvedelem.hu, the chief of the defence staff emphasized: Hungary has not been asked yet to send troops to secure the 2010 parliamentary elections in Afghanistan. Last year, however, when the NATO asked Hungary as well to help with the presidential and provincial elections, the organization implied that in all probability, they will ask Hungary again to contribute to the 2010 elections with similar units.

The program of the Mod Chief of Defence Staff in Debrecen continued in the afternoon in the museum of the infantry brigade, that opened five years ago, on September 30, 2004, with the help of the experts of the MoD Institute and Museum of Military Science (HM Hadtörténeti Intézet és Múzeum, HM HIM). The majority of the exhibits have been placed at the disposal of the brigade by the HM HIM, but many objects have arrived from Debrecen’s Déry Museum, private individuals, and the corps themselves.

Brig.Gen. Dr. Gábor Böröndi, the commander of the corps underlined in his address commemorating the anniversary: fostering the traditions is very important for the troops, and a museum is important only if it is taken care of and developed regularly. And this is what they would like to do in Debrecen.

Following that the brigadier general spoke about the Hungarian Defence Forces, which are a subsystem of Hungarian society and are not independent of it. The duty of a soldier is the defence of the homeland, which is a sacred cause. However, the promotion of this sacred cause is the responsibility of not only the adults but schoolchildren and students as well. Therefore on November 13, the brigade and the town leaders signed a cooperation agreement on national defence education.

On the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the establishment of the museum of the corps, Lieutenant Colonel Dr. Vilmos Kovács, the chief museologist of the Institute and Museum of Military History recalled the months when together with his colleagues and the troops of the brigade they were assembling the exhibition showing the military history of Debrecen. He said that the military history of the city has always been rich, therefore this job was a great professional challenge.

The chief museologist of the HM HIM added: one of the towns the 39th Imperial and Royal Foot Regiment – that had played an important role in history, for it had been to nearly all battlefields in Europe and participated in more than two hundred battles – had recruited from was Debrecen. The historic predecessor of the brigade was given the greatest honour, the yellow regiment colours, in 1866. Among the foot regiments the number of which exceeded a hundred, there were only four that earned this honour. The original colours can be found in the HM HIM, but today the replica has been returned to the brigade.

Before presenting the colours, General László Tömböl recalled his personal experience when more than four years ago he visited the corps museum of the Debrecen brigade for the first time. He said that he had not seen such a complex exhibition of the military history of a city before.

– When we award division colours to a military organization it is always a great honour, one of the greatest honours for the corps. The colours and the ribbon on them are the identity of the military organization. They symbolize that soldiers belong together. There is not a military organization without division colours and the accompanying ribbon. I think when in the name of the minister I entrust the replica of the division colours to the corps museum in Debrecen, we continue these traditions. For this exhibition also shows us the history of the 39th Regiment, and it cannot be complete without this flag – said the chief of the defence staff, then handed over the yellow colours to Brig.Gen. Gábor Böröndi, who waved it in the traditional way.

Mr János D. Halász, the deputy mayor of Debrecen said at the ceremony that the town is also delighted that the colours of the 39th Regiment have returned. The local politician also told the guests about the importance of the cooperation agreement on education, concluded between the town and the brigade. He underlined: he wishes the educational institutions of the city felt that it is a unique opportunity. The leaders of the city of county ranks would also support specialized military education in Debrecen, which would make the cooperation between the brigade and the city complete. But of course, they are aware that it is going to be a long process – said the deputy mayor.

The ceremony – and the visit of the chief of the defence staff – ended with the performance of the brass quartet of the Debrecen garrison band and the hand-to-hand combat demonstration of the 5th/24th ’Gergely Bornemissza’ Reconnaissance Battalion of the corps.