Lieutenant General Zoltán Schmidt
11:22 January 2, 2023Personal details
Date of birth: 30th June 1969
Place of birth: Paks, Hungary
Marital status: married, a father of one child
Education
2015 Defence Management Course (National University of Public Service, Budapest)
2011 General Staff Course (Miklós Zrínyi National Defence University)
2008 NATO Logistics Operational Planning Course (Oberammergau)
2006 NATO Defence Forces Course (Oberammergau)
2006 NATO Staff Officer Course (Oberammergau)
2004 NATO Logistics Course (Aachen)
2002 TÜV Rheinland Academy (Budapest), Quality Management System Referent
2002 Miklós Zrínyi National Defence University, military technology manager
1990 Máté Zalka Military Technical College, combat vehicle maintainer, combat vehicle technology specialization
Military career
2023 Deputy Chief of Defence for Management
2022 Head of office (deputy commander for management), Hungarian Defence Forces Command
2019–2022 Inspector General (logistics), Hungarian Defence Forces Command
2018 Acting Chief of Staff, HDF Joint Force Command
2017–2018 Deputy Chief of Staff Support, HDF Joint Force Command
2014–2017 Chief of Logistic Forces (deputy commander), HDF Joint Force Command
2013–2014 Acting Chief of Logistic Forces (deputy commander), HDF Joint Force Command
2010–2013 Chief of Logistics Operations Directorate, HDF Joint Force Command
2007–2010 Senior officer (deputy chief), Logistic Directorate, HDF Joint Force Command
2006 Senior officer, Force planning division, MoD Force Planning Department
2005–2006 Senior officer, Force planning division, Military Planning Directorate, General Staff
2003–2005 Senior officer for coordination, Logistic Planning Directorate, HDF Joint Logistic and Support Command
2001–2003 Senior officer for planning, Logistic Directorate, General Staff
1999–2001 Service chief for armored and motor vehicle technology, Logistic Directorate
1997–1999 Logistics chief (deputy commander for logistics), 1st Tank Battalion
1997 Company commander, logistic company, 1st Tank Battalion
1993–1997 Company commander, repair company, Logistic Battalion
1990–1993 Deputy company commander for armaments technology, 1st Tank Company, 1st Tank Battalion
1987 Student (Miklós Zrínyi National Defence University)
Decorations
Officer Service Medal, 3rd Class
Service Medal of Merit, Silver Grade
Service Medal of Merit, Gold Grade
Officer Service Medal, 2nd Class
Service Medal for Flood Protection
Service Medal of Merit Decorated with Laurel Wreath
Service Medal for Migration Crisis Management
Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary, Military Section
Language skills
English STANAG 3.3.3.3
Memberships
Hungarian Military Logistics Association, member
Hungarian Logistics Association, member of presidential board
Three nations, one objective
10:56 June 8, 2026
“The soldiers of three nations were exercising together and learning from each other, and so they have achieved their objective by successfully clearing the trenches. This shows that the soldiers of the Ohio National Guard serve together with the Hungarian and Serbian forces as true comrades” – said Major General Matthew S. Woodruff, Adjutant General, Ohio National Guard on June 5 in Táborfalva.
Meeting of V4 Defence Policy Directors in Budapest
13:04 June 5, 2026
On June 2–3, 2026, János Szőnyegi, MoD Deputy State Secretary for Force Development and Defence Policy hosted the Defence Policy Directors from the Visegrád Group (V4) countries (Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic) in Budapest.
There can be no successful cooperation without a strong Alliance
11:21 June 5, 2026
“We’ve had a great partnership with the Ohio National Guard for decades. Our troops were co-deployed in the Afghanistan mission, and we’ve been continuously supporting each other. Thanks to the good relationship, our troops have been able to demonstrate in the Alliance that we’re reliable partners” – said Defence Minister Dr. Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi PhD during Ohio National Guard Adjutant General Major General Matthew S. Woodruff’s visit to Hungary on June 4.
Cutting-edge technology in the air
12:08 June 4, 2026
“It can be armed, used for the tasks of special operations, in support the land forces, for air assault and close air support, and for the execution of any logistic transport task” – this was how Colonel Krisztián Kovács, Commander, HDF 86th Helicopter Wing praised the versatility of the H225M helicopters at the 5th conference of the H225M User Group on June 2.
Chiefs of Staff of V4 Countries Hold Discussions in Budapest
10:49 June 4, 2026
The chiefs of staff of the Visegrád Four—including General Zsolt Sándor—met in Budapest on June 3 to discuss current regional challenges and coordinate their common objectives. The conference focused on technological issues in modern warfare, including counter unmanned aerial systems (UAS) capabilities.
Complex tasks and modern drone capabilities in allied harmony
10:22 June 4, 2026
State-of-the-art technological developments and international cooperation recently played the main role at an airbase near Beja, Portugal. Together with Portuguese, Spanish and Belgian service personnel, the soldiers of the ISTAR UAV company of the HDF 2nd Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Regiment used various types of fixed-wing UAVs in practicing the reconnoitering of enemy activity, the monitoring of vehicles and the surveillance of facilities on the ground and the coastline of the Atlantic Ocean.
Joint development is the key to success
09:52 June 4, 2026
We’ve had a huge partnership since 1993, so we’ve been developing together for a long time. The Hungarian reserve system looks very similar to the Ohio National Guard, and we’re always excited about the joint exercises with the Hungarian forces – said Major General Matthew S. Woodruff, Adjutant General, Ohio National Guard on the first day of his visit to Hungary.
Tribute was paid in Kosovo to our soldiers who fell in World War I
16:03 June 2, 2026
On the occasion of Heroes' Day, soldiers of the 34th rotation of the Hungarian Defence Forces KFOR Contingent paid tribute to those who fell in World War I at the Austro-Hungarian military cemetery in Peć/Pejë, Kosovo. Prior to the event, a group of Hungarian peacekeepers volunteered to maintain the cemetery to ensure it was neat and dignified for the commemoration of the Hungarian heroes.
Strong Lineage 2026: precise, synchronized, international
17:46 June 1, 2026
Besides the Slovak training areas, Exercise Strong Lineage 2026 of the Slovakia-based NATO Multinational Brigade Task Force was conducted in the Bakony Hills, Hungary. The Spanish subunit (Task Force Bravo) of the brigade conducted live-fire training on the “Zero point” shooting range and training area, where its soldiers maneuvered, synchronized fires and took aim precisely on platoon level with their Uro Vamtac combat vehicles.
From Hungary to America, from Ohio to Újdörögd
14:15 June 1, 2026
“This is the last exercise before departing for America, and it’s a real challenge to me as squad leader” – said Sergeant First Class Rafael Tóth in the Újdörögd training area. “We’ve been really impressed so far with how the Hungarian Defence Forces have done in the exercise” – told us Captain Joshua Digman on this year’s Exercise Valiant Panther. Both are reservists and university students. Sergeant First Class Tóth is studying as computer science engineer at Pannon University, while Captain Digman is a law student in Ohio, and participated in the training of Hungarian territorial defence forces as a mentor and evaluator.