Soldierly Test of Strength in Afghanistan

The Danish Contingent stationing in Afghanistan organised a 25- kilometre-long march, known as Dancon March, with which the Hungarian servicemen are already familiar, as they regularly take part in this challenge in the KFOR-mission. During this test of strength, the competitors have to overcome the distance in uniform and boots, with their personal weapons and a backpack of minimum 10 kilograms. One of the NCOs of the HDF 43rd ‘Nagysándor József’ Signal and Command Support Regiment, national Deployable CIS (Communication and Information System) Module (DCM-E) covered the distance well before the given time-limit of six hours, in exactly 3 hours and 52 minutes.

As part of the event related to the Day of the Portuguese Armed Forces Day, the Portuguese rapid reaction company serving at the airport arranged a two-kilometre-long relay-race, with various obstacles, where they also invited the six-member teams of other nations. They had to cover the route in uniform, shrapnel-proof vest and helmet, and the baton’s role was played with a machine gun in service with the given nation.

At the beginning of the competition the first member of the team had to overcome an obstacle course filled with fitness and skill elements, then the next team-member had to run an approximately 800 metre-long distance fully equipped. The third team-member had to carry an ammunition box over a given distance, and the remaining two team-members had to take the ammunition-box carrying soldier as a casualty to the finish-line. In the competition the Hungarians were represented by five soldiers of the Air Advisory Team (AAT) belonging to the personnel of the HDF 86th Szolnok Helicopter Base, and one soldier of the DCM-E Company. A servicewoman from the company completed the race as the member of the US-team.

At the end of October, when the Czech and Slovakian Contingents serving in Afghanistan celebrated the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Czechoslovakia, as part of the event the representatives of the nations serving at the airport could test their strength with one another in truck-pull and bench-press. In both events they expected the entry of six-member teams, where one of the team-members had to be a woman. In the event of truck pull the participating teams had to pull a container truck weighing 15,5 tons over a distance of 25 metres as quickly as possible. The Hungarian team consisting of the soldiers of the HDF 86th Szolnok Helicopter Base, the HDF 2nd vitéz Bertalan Árpád Special Purpose Brigade, and the HDF 43rd Nagysándor József Signal and Command Support Regiment could stand on the third step of the imaginary podium with their time of 46 seconds.

On the national holiday of Turkey, the lead nation of the airport, a two-kilometre-long running race was staged, where several Hungarian soldiers serving in the personnel of the Air Advisory Team and the HDF National Support Element participated.