The Hungarian Defence Forces’ Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team (OMLT) deployed in Afghanistan has ended its current mission.

The joint Hungarian–American mentor team working at Khilagay has been serving with a modified task system since mid-December, and will redeploy to a new base in the spring of 2013. The emphasis will shift from training and mentoring the Afghan soldiers to giving advice, and the name of the unit will change to Military Advisory Team (MAT). With the withdrawal of the PRT (in spring 2013), they will continue mentoring the Afghan army in the town of Mazar-i-Sharif.

The OMLT started operating in Afghanistan in 2009; its main tasks were to participate in training an mentoring the Afghan National Army (ANA) – responsible for law and order in 14 districts of Baghlan Province – and to maintain contact with NATO forces.

Composed of Hungarian troops and the members of the Ohio National Guard, the OMLT assisted the training of an 800-strong Afghan battalion (kandak), with around 60 mentors. The MAT has started working with a staff of 50 soldiers.

(MoD, MTI)