Taking Oath in Public After Six Years

As it is known, year by year officers and NCOs are sworn in for the defence of the country in front of the wider public. The officers’ commissioning ceremony is held in Heroes’ Square, Budapest on August 20 while the NCO swearing-in ceremony regularly takes place at the HDF CTB, Szentendre in July. By contrast, until now the signed-on enlisted personnel’s swearing-in event was arranged behind closed doors inside an office, where they signed a document with the text of the oath on it.

Having recognized this state of affairs the HDF CTB, Szentendre made a proposal for turning the swearing-in ceremony of signed-on personnel into a public event, so that they can take their oath of allegiance in front of their relatives, friends and comrades, pledging to defend the country under arms and to be ready to make the supreme sacrifice for it if necessary.

‘I have met countless heroes over the last six months who wore the same uniform as you. I met them in Afghanistan and was standing by the graves of two of them. I watched them struggling with the flash flood and was proud to see them on the bridge they had built at Kolontár after the red sludge disaster. You should be worthy of belonging to this community’, Dr. Csaba Hende said in his speech. The Defence Minister pointed out that the soldiers just sworn in have all begun a new life on this day, as they have undertaken a great task in accomplishing a true mission, and the new MoD leadership is well aware of the significance of their decision.

‘Your chosen path will not always be easy to tread – actually, it will often be very hard indeed. However, if you pursue this path conscientiously, dedicatedly and bravely you will surely recognize the beauty of soldiering’ – this was how the Defence Minister concluded his speech to the sworn-in personnel.