Hungarian soldiers receive French military decoration

Speaking at the ceremony held at the French Embassy, Ambassador Jonathan Lacôte said that the medal Sentinelle – Jeux olympiques 2024 for military security had been awarded to two soldiers of the Hungarian Defence Forces 1st EOD and Riverine Guard Regiment for their services at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.

“Together with their dogs and comrades participating in the mission, their exemplary conduct significantly contributed to guaranteeing the security of the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games. This is also important with regard to the French–Hungarian cooperation, as their actions demonstrate that the cooperation of our armed forces in the interest of providing security for the population is practical and effective” – said the ambassador.

He added that while organizing the world games, France was aware of the security challenges and requirements involved in such an event that is attended by millions of spectators.

“Besides the constant danger of terrorism, a number of new threats have emerged on our continent, including sabotage attempts by certain states, cyberattacks on key government centers, not to mention the disinformaion campaigns conducted by foreign states against the Olympics, which France has made public” – listed Jonathan Lacôte.

He pointed out that in response to the threat of terror, the French state has been conducting its operation Sentinelle since 2015, in the framework of which the soldiers of the armed forces patrol the sites under threat every day.

The ambassador recalled that France requested its main European partners and other countries to provide military support with special K-9 units. As he said, “Twelve states – among them, Hungary – answered our call, offering their support to the security measures of the Olympic Games”.

According to the ambassador, the collective mission in Paris also reminds us of the fact that our armed forces are co-deployed in operations such as EUFOR Operation Althea in Bosnia and Herzegovina or the joint NATO exercises.

The EOD technician NCOs received the decoration in the company of their service dogs. The event was also attended by HDF Defence Staff Director of Staff Major General Zoltán Somogyi, and Regimental Commander Colonel László Lengyel.

The ones we are proud of

Staff Sergeant Balázs Németh joined the Hungarian Defence Forces in 2008, his dream was to serve the homeland as a soldier.

“We were helping with the preparations for the Olympics as part of the wide international cooperation. The security tasks involved the use of more than 100 Explosives Detection Dogs (EDDs). It is an honor to be awarded this medal for my service” – he said.

The soldier of the HDF 1st EOD and Riverine Guard Regiment can “very effectively” work together with his service dog named Ashlan. “My colleague is a four-year-old German shepherd dog. I got it when it was two years old, and started its training. We form a very good pair with truly exemplary harmony between us” – said the “master”, pointing out that Ashlan has special abilities, because in contrast with an average bomb-sniffing dog, which can identify 30 chemical compounds, Ashlan is able to recognize several home-made compounds that are considered to be tools of terror.

Staff Sergeant Lajos Serb has been serving in the ranks of the Hungarian Defence Forces since 2002. He has always been intrigued by the armed defence of the country and the cause of national defence.

His German shepherd dog named Carlos is about to retire, so he considers it important that besides last year’s Olympic venues, he and his EDD also had the opportunity to participate in a preliminary search of the area of the Louvre, among others.

“We did an approximately three-week tour of duty in the French capital city, and the task we carried out together with other nations was quite useful. I take huge pride in having received this recognition, which makes us feel that we have done a good service” – he said.