End of CULP Program in Hungary

More than 50 Hungarian soldiers participated in the training so they can successfully prepare for their military language proficiency (STANAG) exams. Speaking about the program organized by the Hungarian General Staff Manpower and Personnel (J1) Directorate, J1 Chief Col. Tamás Zsiga told us that this year’s program had already been the third trip of the US Army cadets to Hungary, but the CULP Program is much more than a simple language course. The program enables the Hungarian soldiers to practice together with their future foreign colleagues, and carry out various tasks with them.

“Every year, the US Army Cadet Command sends about between 1,100 to 1,300 cadets overseas. The biggest thing is with them to have cultural experiences outside the American society, since, in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, what we’ve seen is that the officers who have experience in multiple societies tend to do a lot better than those who only stay there inside the United States", Lt.-Col. Jason Bender, the group leader of the US cadets told us. At the closing ceremony, it was revealed that both the Hungarian and the American soldiers said goodbye to each other with fond memories and lots of experiences acquired in the CULP Program. Their language teachers are all agreed that the Hungarian soldiers have made remarkable progress and achieved outstanding results in a short time.

Photos by the author