In the presence of relatives and family members Lieutenant General Tibor Benkő bade farewell to the HDF 86th Air Mentor Team (AMT) in the Community Centre of the Szolnok Helicopter Base. The team consisting of 10 soldiers starts its service on 25th August 2010.

The Chief of Defence Staff HDF emphasized in his speech that the Afghanistan mission is the most dangerous of all. There is no peace in Afghanistan but there are military operations going on, demanding a lot of causalities. The number of casualties has already exceeded 2000. We should be proud of their undertaking this difficult, demanding and dangerous mission.

The Lieutenant General emphasized: the mission going on since 2005 demands serious challenge, preparedness and a considerable courage from the soldiers. The relatives’ patience, love and understanding are indispensable. Soldiers on mission abroad contribute to the development of the Afghan National Army’s preparedness using abilities for the first time. Their tasks will include mounting special pods on the MI-17 helicopter making the use of free rockets possible. Tibor Benkő introduced Attila Suszter the commander of the HDF AMT who will be responsible for everybody and everything. He asked the soldiers departing for the mission to help each other, the commander and the comrades in the operational theatre. “Solving problems is a common goal. You are one team with a single goal. You will be able to accomplish the task only if you think and work a single direction under the command of Attila Suszter.”

HDF 86th Szolnok Helicopter Base will send soldiers on mission in 4 months’ rotation for a year. The task of the team is to provide theoretical and practical training for the Afghan National Army Air Corps (ANAAC). The second rotation to depart starts its service with 10 people in Afghanistan. They will be deployed in the Asian country till 15 January.

During the reception Zoltán Pintér, Air Force Chief HDF Joint Force Command proposed a toast. He said: “During my visit to Afghanistan the Commander of the ANAAC said in private that the Hungarians were the best. “

Translated by Dóra Darnyik