Lieutenant General Zoltán Mihócza
08:02 August 10, 2021Personal data:
Date of birth: 18 March 1962.
Place of birth: Budapest
Marital status: Married, with one child
Education:
1980 - 1986 Minsk Military Academy of Air Defense Missile Engineering, (Minsk, Belarus, USSR), certified radio engineer
1996 - 1997 Air Defense Gunner Advanced Officer Course (Fort Bliss, El Paso, Texas, USA).
2004 - 2005 US Air Force Command and Staff College (Montgomery, Alabama, USA)
Training Courses Attended:
1999 C-70 Chemical Defense Course, NATO School, Oberammergau, Germany
2000 I-32 Staff Officer Course, NATO School, Oberammergau, Germany
2001 C-29 MJLC Course, NATO School, Oberammergau, Germany
2002 NATO Logistics Course, Aachen, Germany
2007 Senior Leadership Course, George C. Marshall Center, Germany
2008 Defence Policy Course, Defence Academy, UK
2010 GFOAC Senior Leadership Course, NDC, Rome, Italy
Military career:
1986 - 1989 11/7th Air Defense Missile Division, Deputy Commander (Technical), Budapest
1989 - 1992 11th Danube Air Defense Missile Brigade, Maintenance Squadron Commander, Budapest
1992 - 1994 11th Danube Air Defense Missile Brigade, Chief of Maintenance, Budapest
1995 - 1996 11th Danube Air Defense Missile Brigade, Chief of Air Defense Missile Engineering, Budapest
1997 11th Danube Air Defense Missile Brigade, Chief of Military Engineering, Budapest
1998 HDF Meteorological Office, Chief Planning Officer, Budapest
1999 Defense Staff, Military Force Planning Directorate, Modernization Department, Research and Analysis Officer, Budapest
1999 - 2002 NATO Joint Forces Command, Group Headquarters J1/4, Logistics Planning Division, Senior Officer, Verona, Italy
2002 - 2003 MOD-DS, Force Planning Directorate, Modernization Division, Senior Officer in Charge, Budapest
2003 - 2004 MOD-DS, Secretary to the Chief of Integration, Budapest
2005 MOD-DS, Secretary to the Director of the Defense Staff, Budapest
2005 - 2006 MOD- DS, Military Planning General Directorate, NATO and Doctrinal Department, Head of Department, Budapest
2006 - 2010 MOD-DS, Operations and Training Division, Deputy Head of Division, Budapest
2010 - 2011 MOD-DS, Force Planning Directorate, Director, Budapest
2011 - 2013 HDF Office of the Military Representative, Military Representative, Brussels, Belgium
2013 - 2016 HDF Joint Forces Command, Acting Commander, Székesfehérvár
2015 - 2016 EUFOR, Chief of Staff, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
2016 - 2018 HDF Joint Forces Command, Chief of Staff, Székesfehérvár
2018 HDF Joint Forces Command, Acting Commander, Székesfehérvár
2019 - Headquarters of the Hungarian Defense Forces, Chief of Staff
Participation in operations:
2000 - 2001 KFOR HQ Pristina, Kosovo
2015 - 2016 EUFOR, Chief of Staff, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Honours:
1994 Officer Service Medal 3rd Class (10 years)
2001 NATO Kosovo Medal
2002 Service Medal for Peacekeeping
2003 Service Medal, bronze grade
2003 Officer's Service Medal 2nd Class (20 years)
2004 NATO Service Medal 2005 Service Medal gold grade
2008 Service Medal decorated with Laurel Wreath
2010 Officer's Service Medal 1st Class (30 years )
2013 NATO Service Medal
2015 Hungarian Cross of the Order of Merit, military section
2016 EU CSDP Service Medal
2017 Migration Crisis Management Service Badge
2018 US Air Force Command Staff College, International Hall of Fame Member
2019 Gyula Sipos Award of the City of Székesfehérvár
Language skills:
English: STANAG 6001 4.4.4.4
Russian: advanced level, military interpreter

Italian defence policy director visits Budapest
12:02 October 8, 2021
On Thursday, 7 October Deputy State Secretary for Defence Policy Dr. Gergely Németh received Major General Giovanni Maria Iannucci, Policy Director, Italian Defence General Staff in Budapest. After the meeting, the major general received the Officer’s Cross of the Hungarian Order of Merit from Defence State Secretary István Szabó.
Minister of Defence receives US–Hungary Business Council delegation
09:05 October 8, 2021
The top leaders of leading American companies recently visited Budapest already for the sixth time, in the organization of the US–Hungary Business Council. On Thursday, 14 October, on behalf of the defence portfolio, Defence Minister Dr. Tibor Benkő received 14 representatives of eight companies who arrived, among others, from the fields of defence industry, cyber defence, pharmaceutical industry, medical technology industry, oil and gas industry as well as tobacco industry.

Chief of JSES visits Táborfalva
14:12 October 7, 2021
On 6 October, Lieutenant General Martin Schelleis, Chief of the German Joint Support and Enabling Service paid a visit to the Táborfalva section of the HDF Military Movement Centre on account of the PESCO logistic project.

DECI member countries’ Chiefs of Defence meet in Rome
14:05 October 7, 2021
The participants of a chiefs of staff level conference of the Defence Cooperation Initiative (DECI) have signed a document concerning the result of the Strategic Review in Rome. At the two-day discussion, Hungary was represented by Lieutenant General Dr. Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi, Commander of the Hungarian Defence Forces. The chiefs of staff of member countries reaffirmed that this form of cooperation has the primary objective of enhancing regional stability and security in Central and South-Eastern Europe through the military cooperation of member states.

Regional cooperation is indispensable for preserving our security
09:38 October 7, 2021
Regional cooperation is indispensable for preserving our security – said Defence Minister Tibor Benkő, who participated in the 16th International Defence and Security Technologies Fair in Brno, the Czech Republic at the invitation of the Czech minister of defence on Wednesday, 6 October.

Multinational exercise held in Bosnia–Herzegovina
10:21 October 5, 2021
Exercise EUFOR Quick Response 2021 started in mid-September to test the quick reaction forces (QRF) and capabilities of the peacekeeping mission as well as the subunits of countries providing the Intermediate Reserve Forces (IRF). The exercise also involved the armed forces of Bosnia-Herzegovina (AFBiH) and representatives of the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA).

Learning to deploy tents constructed to 21st century requirements
10:15 October 5, 2021
Mobile Field Deployable Accommodation Set – this is the name of a tent whose deployability, setting up and dismantling were the topics of a trade training event co-organized by the Infrastructure Branch Directorate of the Logistic Directorate of the Hungarian Defence Forces Command and the Training Branch Directorate of the HDF 37th Ferenc Rákóczi II Engineer Regiment.

Progressive Cooperation at the V4 Meeting
05:45 October 2, 2021
We work in a powerful Alliance, but the strength of this system must be provided by national capabilities, said Minister of Defence Tibor Benkő at the press conference held after the meeting of V4 defence ministers in Erdőbénye on 1st October.
Development, expansion, joint work
12:19 October 1, 2021
Major General Denis Tretinjak, Commander, Headquarters Multinational Division Centre (HQ MND–C) paid a visit to Lieutenant General Dr. Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi, Commander, Hungarian Defence Forces in Budapest on Thursday, 30 September.

Challenges from the south in focus
16:46 September 30, 2021
A delegation headed by MoD Deputy State Secretary for Defence Policy Dr. Gergely Németh paid a professional visit to Allied Joint Force Command Naples on 23–24 September.