Two flags, one goal!

The Hungarian and Romanian commanders are annually rotated at the helm of the unit operating with a command system based on NATO doctrines. This time, Major Dávid Szent-Imrey relinquished his position as commander to Lieutenant Colonel Sebastian Man. The high-ranking military leaders speaking at the event praised the ongoing comradely and close cooperation between the two nations, which manifests itself during joint exercises and international missions alike.

After the handover of command duties, Brigadier General Cristinel-Dumitru Colibaba, Commander, 81st “General Grigore Bălan” Mechanized Brigade delivered a speech, in which he pointed out that the cooperation between the two parties means more than a friendship. “Comradeship has been shown on both sides over the years. We experienced it not only at the joint exercises, but also through the successful completion of the joint mission. May your shared service last for a long time!” – said the general.

In what followed, Brigadier General Zsolt Molnár, Commander, HDF 30th Mechanized Infantry Brigade emphasized in his speech that since its establishment in 1998, the battalion has demonstrated its preparedness at several joint exercises. “The participating soldiers’ decisiveness and knowledge make this battalion strong and capable of carrying out high-level tasks. Besides the exercises, they have already demonstrated this in the area of operations in Kosovo, during their co-deployment with the KFOR mission. The goals have been the same since the beginnings, and by going down this road, we can prepare for all the tasks ahead of us. I wish that you gain further useful knowledge and experiences during this year’s joint exercise” – said General Molnár.

Every year, the soldiers of the mixed battalion participate in Exercise Wise Foresight, and the two countries provide the venue for the training event in turns. The Hungarian module of the battalion is drawn from the Hódmezővásárhely-based 2nd Grenadier Battalion, while the Romanian one from the Arad-based 191st “Colonel Radu Golescu” Infantry Battalion.