Change of Command at the Mixed Battalion

The soldiers of the mixed battalion participate in an exercise each year, the venue for which is provided by the two countries in turns. The command and control of the battalion is in conformity with NATO principles, and the leading positions are held by the nations in annual turns. The Romanian-Hungarian Joint Peacekeeping Battalion’s Book of Honour, symbolizing the leading of and containing the history of the battalion, was handed over by Lieutenant Colonel Gheorghe-Cristian Tecu to Major Dávid Szent-Imrey.

Following the handover of the book, Lieutenant Colonel Mátyás Hodoniczki, the acting chief of staff of the HDF 30th Mechanized Infantry Brigade, said in his speech that during the 26 years since the establishment of the Hungarian-Romanian mixed battalion, many significant regional and worldwide political events affecting both nations have taken place but the cooperation is still unbroken and successful. “The tactical exercise named ‘Wise Foresight’ organized each year could not be more relevant than nowadays. Good relationships and military cooperation with neighbouring countries are the key factors of foresight and the basis of our region’s stability” – underlined the chief of staff.

Colonel Cristinel-Dumitru Colibaba, commander of the 81st “General Grigore Bălan” Mechanized Brigade, highlighted in his speech that due to the good cooperation and the tasks performed together, the battalion reached its goals and the mixed sub-unit is capable of performing the set tasks on the highest possible level. “Every activity taken together added value to our work and provided us an opportunity to establish strong friendly relations, which are as important as mutual training” – said Colonel Colibaba.

The Hungarian module of the mixed battalion is provided by the 2nd Grenadier Battalion of the HDF 30th Mechanized Infantry Brigade and the Romanian one is provided by the 191st “Colonel Radu Golescu” Infantry Battalion of Arad.