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.
V4 Territorial Commanders’ Conference
11:41 March 31, 2022
On 30 March, the Hungarian Defence Forces Territorial Defence and Support Command (HDF TDSC) organized the Territorial Commanders’ Conference of the Visegrád Four (V4) countries in an online format.
Field study in multinational domain
09:24 March 31, 2022
Students of the Hungarian General Staff Training Course paid a visit to Headquarters Multinational Division Centre on 30 March in Székesfehérvár.
Hungarian airman completes ATC Apprentice Course in the United States
12:53 March 29, 2022
Lieutenant Gyula Sonnewend, an airman of the HDF 59th Dezső Szentgyörgyi Air Base recently attended a 10-week language course and a 14-week ATC (Air Traffic Control) Apprentice Course in the United States.
Defence policy directors meet in London
12:48 March 29, 2022
On 24–25 March, at the invitation of David Hogan-Hern, Director of the Euro-Atlantic Security Directorate at the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence, MoD Deputy State Secretary for Defence Policy Dr. Gergely Németh arrived in London for a two-day visit.
The refugee crisis poses a challenge to all countries neighboring Ukraine
12:27 March 29, 2022
On 28 March, Defence Minister Dr. Tibor Benkő received in his office Oleg Tulea, Moldova’s ambassador to Budapest on a courtesy call. The primary aim of the visit was to discuss the treatment of the refugee crisis due to the Russo–Ukrainian War, as well as the military cooperation between the two countries.
Coordinated and mutual support
12:06 March 26, 2022
Representatives of HDF Territorial Defence and Support Command (HDF TDSC) visited Headquarters Multinational Division Centre (HQ MND-C) on 25th March in Székesfehérvár.
Strengthening Hungarian–French relations
16:14 March 25, 2022
On Wednesday, 23 March a reception coupled with an award ceremony was held at the French ambassador’s residence in Budapest. Among others, MoD Deputy State Secretary for Defence Policy Dr. Gergely Németh was also among the recipients of the decorations. On Thursday, 24 March, Major General Zsolt Sándor, Deputy Commander, Hungarian Defence Forces received the French delegation on an official visit.
Forward defence must be established on the eastern flank
15:55 March 25, 2022
The combat ready Hungarian battalion battlegroup declared to NATO has been made open, so from now on, other NATO member states can join it, too, announced Defence Minister Tibor Benkő after the NATO Summit on 24 March.
Hungarian battalion battlegroup becomes multinational
15:36 March 25, 2022
NATO is deploying land forces to reinforce its defences on its eastern flank. Having attended an Extraordinary NATO Summit held in Brussels, Defence Minister Tibor Benkő spoke about the details in Budapest on 24 March.
Multinational initiative in international spotlight
07:20 March 22, 2022
Major General Denis Tretinjak, commander of Headquarters Multinational Division Centre (HQ MND-C) gave a briefing to the Echelon of National Military Representatives of thirty NATO nations, at NATO Allied Command Operations in Belgium, on the establishment and current status of the headquarters.