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
Spain’s National Day Celebrated in the Spirit of Allied Military Cooperation
10:35 October 15, 2026
Spain’s national holiday also draws attention to the importance of defence cooperation between Hungary and Spain, two committed NATO allies. At a reception held in Budapest to mark the occasion, General Zsolt Sándor, Chief of Defence, represented the Hungarian Defence Forces, further strengthening the significance of military-to-military relations between the two countries.
Much-Needed Discussion
10:31 October 15, 2026
On October 14 in Budapest, Dr Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi, Minister of Defence, held discussions with Matthew Whitaker, the US Ambassador to NATO, on the situation in Europe, the most important tasks facing NATO, Hungary’s intentions within the Alliance, and how to increase defence spending to 5 per cent of the GDP.
Joint Learning, Enhanced Drone Capabilities
13:56 October 14, 2026
Led by experts from the HDF NCO Academy, a basic international operational drone course was organised in Hungary for the first time. During this pilot training program, military personnel from nine nations shared their knowledge with one another on topics relating to training and capability development. Following the classroom training, during the second week of the course, the participants carried out on-the-job tasks in the airspace of the Csobánka training area.
German Precision in the Hungarian Military
13:43 October 14, 2026
The German-Hungarian Joint Services Working Group organised bilateral consultations in Budapest across six thematic areas, as part of a series of binational visits at increasingly high levels taking place since September. The delegation also inspected the Hungarian Defence Forces’ military equipment and training aids of German origin.
German Unity Celebrated at Eiffel Art Studios
14:20 October 13, 2026
Alexander Schönfelder, Germany’s Ambassador to Hungary, hosted a reception at the Eiffel Art Studios to mark the Day of German Unity. Also in attendance at the event was General Zsolt Sándor, Chief of HDF Defence Staff.
If you are not at the table, you are on the menu
14:14 October 13, 2026
“If you are not at the table, you are on the menu.” And Hungary’s rightful place is at the negotiating table on European security. It was an honour to take part in the Warsaw Security Forum, where, for the first time in a long while, a Hungarian Minister of Defence was once again able to represent the country, Defence Minister Dr Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi stated on his social media page.
Who will Protect Europe?
14:09 October 13, 2026
Europe must become capable of defending itself independently. To this end, it is not enough simply to rethink the continent’s defence strategy; it is essential to rebuild and modernise the European defence industry, said Defence Minister Romulusz-Ruszin Szendi at the Warsaw Security Forum held on Monday.
Air Dominance
11:14 October 13, 2026
The international Helicopter Tactics Instructor Course is well under way in Pápa, Hungary. The course serves the tactical training of helicopter aircrews and their preparation as instructors.
Unarmed Service
11:08 October 13, 2026
On October 8, several blue-helmet soldiers gathered in the area of Kiskunhalas and Tázlár to participate in the complex patrol exercise of the 48th International Military Observer Course. Organized by the Szolnok-based HDF Peace Support Training Centre, the course is aimed at providing training for service members who are preparing to join UN-led unarmed peacekeeping missions in war zones or hot spots around the world.
On the Ground, in the Air, on Television
10:30 October 13, 2026
The Hungarian Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team serving as part of EUFOR Operation Althea not only contributes to maintaining security and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina but also to strengthening ties with the local population. In this spirit, on October 9–10, 2026, Sergeant Bence László Sándor, the dog handler for the Hungarian EOD team of EUFOR, and his explosive-detection dog, Sziporka, participated in several professional and media events in Sarajevo.