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.
Only Hungary insists on ceasefire and peace
10:13 August 31, 2023
From among all countries of the European Union, Hungary is the only one that insists on immediate ceasefire and the start of peace talks, stated Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky in a video uploaded to his official Facebook page in connection with the Russo-Ukrainian War on Wednesday, 30 August.
American delegation at the CBRN defence unit
13:47 August 30, 2023
On Monday, 28 August the Hungarian Defence Forces 102nd CBRN Regiment received a professional delegation from the United States European Command (USEUCOM) Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) Programs and International Security Cooperation.
NATO medals for the heroic stand
13:43 August 30, 2023
Speaking at a recently held medal parade symbolizing the end of mission tasks, the Hungarian Deputy Commander of KFOR (DCOM KFOR), NATO’s largest land operation praised the stand taken by the soldiers of the 28th KFOR Contingent of the Hungarian Defence Forces (KFOR-28 HUNCON).
Pakistani Chief of the Air Staff visits Hungary
09:40 August 29, 2023
Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu, Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force is staying in Hungary on a four-day official visit. As part of his program, the Pakistani general was received with military honors in the Ministry of Defence on Monday, 28 August.
American cooperation
09:58 August 24, 2023
Lt. Gen. John S. Kolasheski, Commander of the United States V Corps, paid an official visit to the Ministry of Defence of Hungary on Tuesday, 22nd August.
Paratroopers relieve mountain infantrymen in NATO Battle Group
09:18 August 10, 2023
At a ceremony held on Wednesday, 9 August, the personnel of the Italian Brigata Paracadutisti “Folgore” (airborne brigade) rotated in to replace that of Brigata Alpina “Julia” (mountain infantry brigade) in Veszprém Jutaspuszta – Újmajor camp. Lieutenant Colonel Massimiliano Careddu, the outgoing commander of the Italian contingent of NATO’s enhanced Vigilance Activity Battle Group (eVA BG) relinquished his duties as contingent commander to Lieutenant Colonel Salvatore Sotgiu at the multinational military unit stationed in Hungary.
Continuous assistance
13:48 August 9, 2023
The H145 helicopters of the Hungarian Defence Forces have been providing assistance for two days in Slovenia, a country stricken by a major natural disaster.
New German defence attaché arrives to pay introductory call
11:46 August 9, 2023
On Tuesday, 8 August in Budapest, Major General Ferenc Kajári, Deputy Chief, Hungarian Defence Forces General Staff received in his office Lieutenant Colonel Uwe Zvonar, the outgoing German defence attaché, and Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Passbach, the incoming one.
Hungarian aid arrives in Slovenia
08:50 August 8, 2023
Two H145M helicopters of the Hungarian Defence Forces have flown to Slovenia to assist with the rescue efforts in the aftermath of one of the largest natural disasters in recent times, the Ministry of Defence informed Hungarian news agency MTI on Monday, 7 August.
Hungarian assistance for our Slovenian neighbors
08:43 August 8, 2023
“Our neighbors can always count on our help!” – wrote Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky on his social media page, where he announced that the Hungarian Defence Forces are also participating in the ongoing rescue efforts in Slovenia, a country stricken by torrential rainfall.