Hungarian KFOR Contingent closes its mission with sports

Several Hungarian teams entered the Lithuanian-organized inter-squad competition, where they tackled challenges including, among others, truck pull, hand grenade throwing, as well as the negotiation of a long obstacle course blindfold. During the latter task, the competitors had to exclusively rely on their comrades’ guidance and mutual trust. The competition demanded physical stamina, mental focus and strong team cohesion at the same time.

The Combat Life Savers (CLS) also put their knowledge and strength to the test during the six months; they demonstrated their preparedness on a complex professional competition. The tasks included live firing, medical evacuation and treatment of casualties, as well as intravenous access, all this in circumstances resembling an active combat environment.

The competition aimed not only at testing professional knowledge but also at developing stress endurance capacity. The participants were tasked with professionally treating their “wounded” buddy in an imitated battlefield situation under increased mental and physical load.

The realistic situations provided an opportunity to test the soldiers’ problem-solving and cooperative skills as well as their decision-making speed, that is, everything that may save lives in a real-world situation.

In January, the support company of the HDF contingent organized its own playful logistical competition aimed at strengthening team cohesion and developing cooperation. The support company was represented by four teams whereas the infantry companies with one team each.

The tasks were related to everyday service, so the events of the competition included the issue and reception of materiel, catering, the supply of clothes and fuel, as well as repair processes. The program had a good atmosphere and at once presented a serious professional challenge, so it strengthened cooperation among subunits and the taking of collective responsibility.

Early this year, the HDF contingent organized a special physical challenge in memory of the fighting in the Don Bend. The soldiers formed four-man teams to complete a high-load, complex series of tasks, during which they had to perform nine exercises in under 1 hour and 13 minutes. The altogether 1943 repetitions and the 1:13 timeframe symbolically referred to 13 January 1943, the start of the Don breakthrough, so the physical performance was connected with paying tribute to the historical event.

The backbone of the 33rd rotation of the HDF KFOR Contingent is drawn from the soldiers of the HDF 1st Armored Brigade. The traditionally held “Pump and Row” competition of the brigade was also held in Camp Novo Selo, Kosovo as well, hundreds of kilometers from the Tata garrison, yet together with those at home due to the same timing. This sporting event involved participants competing with each other in seated cable row and bench press.

Another highlight of mission sports life in February was the Hungarian-organized powerlifting competition, in which the representatives of the nations serving in the camp found out who is the strongest one.

Relating to the February 18 anniversary of the establishment of the International Military Sports Council (CISM), the International Day of Military Sports not only provided an excellent occasion to do sports collectively, but as a strong symbol, it also proclaimed the importance of discipline, steadfastness and belongingness. The message of the CISM is timely even today: “Peace and friendship through sport!”, and every year it motivates hundreds of thousands of soldiers to perform collective exercises and to implement collective goals. On this day, the contingent held a four-kilometer unit run.

In the past few months, sports were not merely a supplementary activity in the Hungarian soldiers’ lives, but also one of the key means of community building, mental strength and the spirit of camaraderie. Through its performance, discipline and cohesion, the personnel of the 33rd rotation of the HDF KFOR Contingent close their service in Kosovo in a worthy way.