Afghan troops have increasingly higher professional standards, which reflects credit on their Hungarian mentors too.

The Afghan battalion (“kandak”), which is being mentored by a team of Hungarian and American trainers, was declared capable of independent operations this summer, so the trainers are gradually transitioning to an advisory role.

The Hungarian–American team is assisting the training of 800 Afghan troops altogether at Khilagay base in Baghlan Province. The number of mentors is around 50. “This battalion is one of the best-trained and readiest battalions in the northern corps of the Afghan National Army (ANA), so it will not need more training soon”, stressed Lt.-Col. Szabolcs Pécsvárady, the commander of the Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team (OMLT).

The Hungarian soldiers are partnering the soldiers of the US Ohio National Guard in the OMLT to assist with training and mentoring a battalion of the Afghan National Army (ANA).

(MTI, Ministry of Defence)