Major General Zoltán Somogyi
15:53 July 18, 2023Brigadier General Zoltán Somogyi was born on 27th February 1974 in Fehérgyarmat. He began his military service in August 1992 at the Military Command Collage in Szentendre. He graduated as an artillery officer with a BSc in Land Surveying Engineering in 1996. He served 8 years in a various artillery officer assignments including 4 years as Battery Commander within the HDF 5th Mechanized Infantry Brigade 5th Self Propelled Artillery Battalion in Debrecen. During his artillery officer carrier, he successfully completed the Battery Commander Course of the German Bundeswehr and gathered experiences also in the field of rocket artillery. In 2003 he was deployed to the position of the 2nd Company Commander of the Hungarian Guard and Security Battalion, KFOR Kosovo and in 2004 he assumed command of the Hungarian Guard and Security Contingent, KFOR Skopje.
In 2007, he was appointed to the position of Hungarian Joint Force Command J3 Staff Officer in Székesfehérvár and he was promoted to Major. In 2009, he was assigned as a Liaison Officer to the German Operations Command in Potsdam and to the German MOD Planning Staff in Berlin focused on Hungarian contribution to ISAF operation. In 2010, he graduated from the National Defense University with MSc degree in Military Leadership. In 2012 he graduated the 7th German National Joint Admiral and General Staff Course at the Bundeswehr Command & Staff Collage in Hamburg. Following that, he was appointed to the position of the Military Assistant to the Chief of Land Forces of the Hungarian Joint Force Command and he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. From 2013 to 2016, he served as the Head of Combat Support Branch G3 HDF JFC.
During this assignment in 2013-2014 he was deployed for seven months to Afghanistan as a senior advisor and head of a brigade level advisory team. In 2016, he was assigned to the position of Chief G37 HDF Joint Force Command. In 2017, his next appointment was at HDF JFC where he held the post of Chief J3/ACOS Operations and was promoted to the rank of Colonel.
From August 2018 he started and led the planning project of Headquarters Multinational Division Centre. He was appointed to Chief of Staff of the Headquarters Multinational Division Centre on 01 June 2020 and he was promoted to his current rank on the 20th of August 2020.
12 May 2022 – 17 May 2023 he served as Chief of Staff of EUFOR Force HQ in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Since 15 July 2023 he has been assuming the position Director of the General Staff Hungarian Defence Forces.
He is married to his wife Beatrix and lives in Várpalota.
Soldier generations need to join forces
16:33 November 19, 2021
The National Defence and Armed Forces Development Program can only be really successful if the soldier generations join forces, working and serving together to attain their goal, Defence Minister Tibor Benkő pointed out in his lecture delivered at the 29th Meeting of Soldier Generations on Thursday, 18 November.
Conference of Central European military leaders in Bulgaria
13:48 November 19, 2021
On 17-18 November the capital city of Bulgaria hosted the Central Europe Chiefs of Defence Conference. The conference of Central European command senior enlisted leaders also took place in Sofia, on 17 November. The participants of both conferences emphasized the need for close cooperation and the importance of continuous exchange of information.
Tibor Benkő holds discussion with USSOCOM Commander
13:40 November 19, 2021
Defence Minister Tibor Benkő recently received General Richard D. Clarke, Commanding General, United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) on a courtesy call. The meeting took place in the framework of the conference “Resistance and Resilience Concept” in Stefánia Palace, Budapest on Thursday, 18 November.
Letter of Intent reached
13:22 November 19, 2021
On Thursday, 18 November Georgian Defence Minister Juansher Burchuladze visited the NATO Centre of Excellence for Military Medicine (NATO MILMED COE) to sign a Letter of Intent on cooperation which had previously been signed by NATO MILMED COE Director Brigadier General Dr. Dirk-Friedrich Klagges.
Defence Minister Tibor Benkő holds discussion with his Georgian counterpart
10:39 November 19, 2021
On 18 November, Defence Minister Tibor Benkő met with his counterpart, Georgian Defence Minister Juansher Burchuladze in Budapest. At a press conference held after the plenary discussion, the Hungarian minister stated that Hungary supports Georgia’s intentions of integration in every respect.
Hungary supports Georgia’s aspirations for accession in every respect
10:13 November 19, 2021
“During the discussions, we are giving priority to Georgia’s intention to join the European Union and NATO”, Defence Minister Tibor Benkő said at a joint press conference held with his counterpart, Georgian Defence Minister Juansher Burchuladze in Budapest on 18 November.
Commemorating the saddest moment of recent Croatian history
08:06 November 19, 2021
Soldiers of the Headquarters Multinational Division – Centre (HQ MND-C) held a silent commemoration ceremony for the victims of the war and the events in Vukovar and Škabrnja at the Holy Spirit Military Cemetery in Székesfehérvár on Thursday, 18 November.
“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.