From Hungary to America, from Ohio to Újdörögd

This July, the Hungarian reservists will go to Michigan to perform tasks assigned to the units of the Ohio National Guard during a large-scale, 14-day Combat Readiness Exercise.

“I’m responsible not only for myself but also for my whole squad. We’re tired but we’re moving forward” – told us Sergeant First Class Rafael Tóth. The solider of the HDF 7th Territorial Defence Regiment is a third-year university student in Veszprém, where he is a member of the local 31st Territorial Defence Battalion. He joined the Hungarian Defence Forces five years ago, and is looking forward to the journey to America together with his friends serving with the battalion. Exercise Valiant Panther 2026 is the last phase of their training.

The unit must reach a given point where it anticipates the enemy. The commander decided that leaving part of their equipment behind, he and his men set off to reach a given grid reference, and first reconnoiter the site that is unknown to them – this was one of the tasks. During reconnaissance, “of course”, the platoon was attacked and a firefight unfolded. The soldiers preparing to leave for the United States skillfully followed his commander’s instructions, took up firing positions and repelled the attack.

“I think they’ll be prepared for the combat readiness exercise in Michigan coming in July” – this was Captain Joshua Digman’s committed assessment of the Hungarian soldiers’ performance. Together with five of his comrades, he has arrived in Újdörögd from the 1/148th infantry regiment of the Ohio National Guard to support the training activity. He pointed out that “The Ohio Army National Guard is a reserve force as well, so we live a dual life as citizens and as soldiers”.

The fruitful and close professional partnership between the ONG and the Hungarian Defence Forces goes back to more than 30 years. Among others, the Hungarians used the ONG’s basic principles in launching the development of the Hungarian territorial defence system. The “civilian solider” has become a role model.

As Sergeant First Class Rafael Tóth told us, university studies can excellently be squared with service in the Hungarian Defence Forces. “The fact that I’m a CS student is favorable for two reasons. I’m also spending my practical training time with my own territorial defence regiment in the Hungarian Defence Forces, where we are developing a HR system.”

This summer in Michigan State, close to 5000 members of the Ohio National Guard will conduct a validation exercise, in which a 98-strong Hungarian reservist company will also participate” – informed us Acting Contingent Commander Major László Hancz. The senior officer of the HDF 7th Territorial Defence Regiment told us that they contacted the Ohio National Guard at the end of 2023, the year of the establishment of their regiment. A couple of months later, they already started preparing for the 2026 validation exercise of the American reserve force.

Besides the 7th, voluntarily applying reservists from the 1st, 5th and 6th territorial defence regiments also joined the training exercise series Valiant Panther that has been going on in Hungary with American cooperation for years. Moreover, soldiers from the Volunteer Reserve Subunit of the Ludovika University of Public Service have also arrived to participate in it.