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.
Discussing challenges facing NATO in the Netherlands
14:36 December 9, 2021
The Northern Commanders’ Conference was held at NATO’s Allied Joint Force Command (JFC) Brunssum, the Netherlands between 6–8 December. Prior to the event, chiefs of defence of NATO member countries discussed current issues in security policy and epidemiology during a videoconference. At the meeting, Hungary was represented by Lieutenant General Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi, Commander, Hungarian Defence Forces.
V4 state secretary level discussion in Budapest
11:43 December 7, 2021
On 3 December, State Secretary for Defence István Szabó held a discussion with the representatives of partner countries in Budapest about defence cooperation in the Visegrád Group.
Hungarian and Kosovan Defence Policy Directors Meet in Pristina
11:30 December 7, 2021
Heading a delegation, between 29–30 November Dr. Gergely Németh, Deputy State Secretary for Defence Policy, Ministry of Defence of Hungary visited Pristina to conduct official discussions with his Kosovan counterpart. Dr. Gergely Németh also visited the KFOR Headquarters, where he met with COMKFOR Major General Ferenc Kajári,
HQ MND-C’s first contact with the Albanian Armed Forces
11:29 December 7, 2021
An Albanian delegation, for the first time, visited the Headquarters Multinational Division – Centre on 6th December.
Deputy Commander of the Hungarian Defence Forces visits Brussels
10:56 December 3, 2021
Between 29 November – 1 December, Major General Zsolt Sándor, Deputy Commander, Hungarian Defence Forces paid a visit to Brussels. During the three-day program, he visited the NATO Military Committee, the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) and the NATO Special Operations Headquarters (NSHQ).
EU defence policy directors meet to discuss Strategic Compass
10:32 December 3, 2021
On 2 December, the EU Defence Policy Directors held a meeting, where they discussed the first draft of the Strategic Compass, a document determining the future direction of European defence policies and capabilities.
Chief of Staff of Hungarian Defence Forces Command receives Spain’s ambassador and Spanish defence attaché to Budapest
13:37 December 1, 2021
On Tuesday, 30 November Lieutenant General Zoltán Mihócza, Chief of Staff, Hungarian Defence Forces Command received in his office Spanish Ambassador HE Ms. Anunciada Fernández de Córdova and Colonel Juan Escrigas Rodríguez, Spain’s defence attaché accredited to Budapest. The visit is an outstanding one because it was almost ten years ago that the last military meeting at such a high level took place between the two countries.
Commander of Hungarian Defence Forces visits EDEX 2021
13:34 December 1, 2021
Between 28–30 November, Lieutenant General Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi PhD, Commander, Hungarian Defence Forces visited the Egypt Defence Expo (EDEX 2021) in Cairo.
Minister of Defence receives Spanish ambassador
13:18 December 1, 2021
On Tuesday, November 30 Defence Minister Dr. Tibor Benkő received in his office Spain’s ambassador to Budapest HE Ms. Anunciada Fernández de Córdova. Also present at the meeting was Colonel A. Escrigas Rodríguez, the new Spanish defence attaché accredited to Hungary.
Sense of duty – reliability – commitment
15:25 November 30, 2021
Major General Ferenc Kajári and the Hungarian staff supporting his command group have started their work in the spirit of the 26th rotation of KFOR, NATO’s Kosovo Force. First, we introduce the daily activity of Chief Warrant Officer Ferenc Tamás Zsiros, KFOR Command Sergeant Major, including the areas of responsibility where he has to meet international expectations as command senior enlisted leader.