Chief Warrant Officer Tamás Zsiros
13:28 August 13, 2025Personal details:
Date of birth: 30/07/1975
Place of birth: Miskolc
Marital status: married
Military career:
15/08/2025– Command Sergeant Major of the Hungarian Defence Forces
01/08/2023 – 15/08/2025 Commandant, NCO Leadership Center of Excellence, HDF NCO Academy, Szentendre, Hungary
30/09/2020 – 31/07/2023 Support Branch Chief/Deputy Commandant, NCO Leadership Center of Excellence HDF NCO Academy, Szentendre, Hungary
16/09/2013 – 29/09/2020 Command Sergeant Major, HDF Ludovika Battalion, Budapest, Hungary
08/07/2009 – 15/09/2013 Chief of Support Division, Deputy Chief of Staff, Personal Assistant, Headquarters NATO Rapid Deployable Corps – Italy (HQ NRDC-ITA), Solbiate Olona, Italy
01/06/2008 – 07/07/2009 Subordinate NCO, command organizations, ISR cell, HDF 34th László Bercsényi Special Operations Forces Battalion, Szolnok, Hungary
31/01/2005 – 01/06/2008 Senior Training Instructor NCO, Platoon Sergeant, HDF 34th László Bercsényi Special Operations Forces Battalion, Szolnok, Hungary
01/09/1999 – 30/01/2005 Team Leader, Long-Range Reconnaissance (LRR) Team, 1st Company, HDF 34th László Bercsényi Special Operations Forces Battalion, Szolnok, Hungary
12/7/1998 – 31/08/1999 Team Leader, Long-Range Reconnaissance (LRR) Team, 4th Company, HDF 34th László Bercsényi Special Operations Forces Battalion, Szolnok, Hungary
Foreign service experience:
2021–2022 Command Sergeant Major for COM KFOR, KFOR HQ, Pristina, Kosovo,
2014–2015 Deputy Commander, Chief of Staff, Personal Assistant, EUFOR HQ, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
2013 CJOC – C-IED Branch Liaison NCO, IJC, ISAF, Kabul, Afghanistan
2009–2013 Chief of Support Division, Deputy Chief of Staff, Personal Assistant, Headquarters NATO Rapid Deployable Corps-Italy (HQ NRDC-ITA), Solbiate Olona, Italy
2008–2009 Team Sergeant, Kabul International Airport Commander’s Close Protection Team, Kabul, Afghanistan
2007–2008 Senior Advisor/Chief Training Instructor, NATO Training Mission–Iraq (NTM-I) for training the Iraqi Guard and Security Battalion, Baghdad, Iraq
2004–2005 Platoon Sergeant, 1st Light Infantry Company, Kabul, Afghanistan
2001–2002 Team Leader, HDF Guard and Security Battalion, KFOR, Pristina, Kosovo
Courses:
04/2025 Conduct After Capture (CaC) Training and Instructor (CaCI) Course, HDF NCO Academy, Szentendre, Hungary
2021 NATO Command Senior Enlisted Leaders Course, NATO School, Oberammergau, Germany (NATO’s top-level CSEL course)
06/2018 Commandant Pre Command Course, US Army Sergeants Major Academy, El Paso, TX, USA (training and development course for leading the HDF NCO Academy)
03/2018 Master Resilience Training Course, The University of Pennsylvania, El Paso, TX, USA (course preparing for coping with and successfully reacting to everyday challenges and tasks of the military vocation and civilian life)
2017–2018 US Army Sergeants Major Course, US Army Sergeants Major Academy, El Paso, TX, USA (training course for command sergeant majors of the US Army)
2015–2016 Command Senior Enlisted Leaders (CSEL) Course, HDF NCO Academy, Szentendre, Hungary. “Primus Inter Pares” Award.
2008 SWAT Close Protection Training, International Training Centre, Budapest, Hungary
2007 US Army Special Forces Train the Trainer Course, Szolnok, Hungary
2007 HK MP5 Operator and Instructor Training, Szolnok, Hungary
2006 Special Forces Qualification Course, Szolnok, Hungary
2005 United States Marine Corps (USMC) Basic Amphibious Reconnaissance Course, Fort Story, Norfolk, VA, USA
2003 “Distinguished International Student” graduate at the Special Forces Qualification Course (SF Weapons Sergeant Training Program) of the US Army JFK Special Warfare Center and School, Fort Bragg, NC, USA
2000 Basic Military Free-Fall Training Course, Szolnok, Hungary (currently 177 parachute jumps)
1998 Long-Range Reconnaissance and Training Sergeant (Distinguished Graduate), Reconnaissance Program, HDF Military Vocational School and Student Hostel, Szentendre, Hungary
1997 Basic Parachuting Course, Szolnok, Hungary
University:
Security Policy Expert (ongoing; expected completion date: July 2026), Security and Defence Policy Program, International Studies, Milton Friedman University, Budapest, Hungary
Language Qualification:
English STANAG 3333
English Advanced “C”
Medals and Decorations:
Hungarian Outstanding Service Medal “Gold”
Hungarian Outstanding Service Medal “Silver”
Hungarian Outstanding Service Medal “Bronze”
Hungarian Distinguished Service Medal “Silver”
Long-Term Foreign Service Medal
Hungarian Peacekeeping Service Medal (7×)
Hungarian Migration Crisis Management Service Medal
Flood Control Service Medal (2×)
Hungarian Military Service Medal Grade II (after 20 years of service as NCO)
Hungarian Military Service Medal (after 10 years of service as NCO)
NATO Non-Article 5 Service Medal for KFOR CSM activity
2022 Italian Armed Forces Service Medal, Pristina, Kosovo
2022 Slovenian Armed Forces “Medal for International Cooperation Grade IV”, Pristina, Kosovo
2022 US Army Joint Service Achievement Medal
2018 US Army NCO Professional Development “Level 5” Medal
2018 US Army Meritorious Unit Commendation Medal
2016 “Primus Inter Pares” Award, CSEL Course, Szentendre, Hungary
2013 US Army Commendation Medal
2010 “NCO of the Year” Award, NATO NRDC-ITA, Solbiate Olona, Italy
2010 “NCO Quarter of the Year” Award, NATO NRDC-ITA, Solbiate Olona, Italy
2009 US Army Achievement Medal
2003 “Distinguished International Graduate”, US Army Special Forces Course, Fort Bragg, NC, USA
“FOR THE HOMELAND UNTO DEATH”
20:07 November 17, 2021
EU defence ministerial and V4+ meeting in Brussels
10:39 November 17, 2021
On 15–16 November the defence ministers of the European Union met in Brussels, where Hungary was represented by Defence Minister Tibor Benkő. Prior to the defence ministers’ plenary sessions, the defence ministers of the Visegrád Four countries met with their counterpart, French Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly. The discussion was the first ministerial-level meeting of the Hungarian V4 presidency in V4+ format.
Deputy Commander of Hungarian Defence Forces receives Georgia’s defence attaché accredited to Budapest
10:10 November 16, 2021
On Monday, 15 November, Deputy Commander of the Hungarian Defence Forces Major General Zsolt Sándor received in his office Colonel Vepkhvia Chalabashvili, the defence attaché of Georgia accredited to Budapest.
Military Cyber Commanders’ Forum in Budapest
10:04 November 16, 2021
As part of the event series connected with the Hungarian V4 presidency, a programme entitled “Military Cyber Commanders’ Forum” was organized between 10–12 November.
Hungarian–Turkish cooperation keeps strengthening
09:41 November 12, 2021
On Thursday, 11 November, as a member of the delegation headed by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Minister of Defence Tibor Benkő attended the 5th meeting of the Turkey-Hungary High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council. On the margins of the event, he held a bilateral discussion with his counterpart, Turkish Minister of National Defence Hulusi Akar. Speaking in Ankara, Defence Minister Benkő stated that Turkey is an important strategic partner of Hungary in terms of military cooperation, therefore the two countries will conclude a framework agreement to further strengthen and expand this partnership.
Brave Unity 2021 – exercise control and support
16:25 November 11, 2021
In terms of the number of total participants, as well as the functional areas involved, the last decade’s most noticeable Computer Assisted Command Post Exercise is held under the name Brave Unity 21 in these days. The assigned personnel of Headquarters Multinational Division – Centre (HQ MND-C), playing the role of superior military organization, was visited by Major General Denis Tretinjak, commander of HQ MND-C, in the Simulation, Exercise and Training Centre of the HDF Bakony Combat Training Centre on 10 November in Várpalota.
Centennial Relationship with Latvia
08:57 November 9, 2021
Hungary is an important and actively acting member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization – the most effective defence and military force in the world –, and strengthens common security – emphasized Minister of Defence Tibor Benkő. The minister held discussions with Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs Edgars Rinkēvičs in Budapest.
Defence Minister Tibor Benkő receives Latvia’s foreign minister on a courtesy call
15:34 November 8, 2021
On Monday, 8 November, on the occasion of the centenary of diplomatic cooperation between Hungary and Latvia, Minister of Defence Tibor Benkő received Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs Edgard Rinkēvičs in Budapest. At their meeting, besides today’s security challenges, the ministers also discussed current issues of allied cooperation between the two countries.
Sharpening the sword of the alligator, at the threshold of the ”Alligator Sword 21” exercise
14:00 November 8, 2021
Before its departure, the outgoing personnel of the Headquarters Multinational Division – Centre took part in the last preparation in the first week of November at Alba Regia barracks in Székesfehérvár. The drill, known in NATO terminology as ”Battle Staff Training”, focused on the tasks of deployed personnel, which is going to be relocated to Germany within days.
Defence Minister Tibor Benkő holds discussion with his Austrian counterpart
09:34 November 5, 2021
On Thursday, 4 November Minister of Defence Tibor Benkő received Austrian Defence Minister in the framework of a border meeting in Sopronbánfalva. During the official meeting, the two sides discussed the European security situation and its future, the common challenges, the forms of bilateral military cooperation and, last but not least, the tasks connected with the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.