The Hungarian Defence Forces’ Basic Non-Commissioned Officer Course (AAT), a one-year programme, has equipped the newly graduating non-commissioned officers with various skills. With these capabilities, they will not only be able to fulfill their leadership duties but also serve the nation in a manner befitting and worthy of an NCO, Command Sergeant Major of the Hungarian Defence Forces Zoltán Kaszab stated during an internal inauguration ceremony held at the barracks’ assembly ground. He emphasized that the acquired knowledge would form the foundation of leadership theory, communication, and training in the future NCOs’ work.
‘Your greatest responsibility is to ensure that soldiers are properly trained, and that the technical equipment belonging to your squad or platoon is operational at all times, as this is the guarantee that the Hungarian Defence Forces remain a constantly available force
capable of defending Hungary’s territorial integrity and the freedom of its citizens,’
Chief Warrant Officer Zoltán Kaszab stated. He referenced Tom Peters, an American business management expert, and his thoughts from the book In Search of Excellence, co-authored with the late Robert H. Waterman, which emphasizes that good leaders do not create followers, but rather cultivate more leaders. ‘From Saturday, when you take the solemn NCO oath at Heroes’ Square in the capital, you will become responsible: responsible for people, and possibly, for human destinies. You are the ones who supervize and mentor those who fall under your command, and you will also be the ones to advise these soldiers,’ he addressed the 355 soldiers who will become NCOs in two days.
In his welcome speech, Kaszab also reminded that the NCO oath would be taken collectively by soldiers who joined the armed military organization a year ago and have been serving either actively or in reserve. He believes that nothing distinguishes a reservist from an active soldier. ‘A reservist knows as much as an active soldier, making the defence forces a homogeneous organization,’ he emphasized. Colonel Imre Frankó, Commander of the MH NCO Academy, highlighted in his welcome address that he was pleased that the approximately four hundred soldiers had not only made significant commitments in the recent period but also fulfilled their voluntarily undertaken obligations with success and conscience. ‘There are few more noble pledges, few nobler actions than this,’ he said of the NCO inauguration, underscoring the indispensable role of the training and support staff in their preparation’s success.
Zsuzsanna Albertné Görgey, Vice President of the Görgey Circle and the godmother of the MH Territorial Defence Forces Command, addressed the graduates as a descendant of the barracks’ namesake. She opined that
those who voluntarily enlist to defend the nation are doubly patriotic.
‘The 355 soldiers to be inaugurated on Saturday have volunteered to protect our nation and us. It is often said that the small is contained in the large, and I am convinced that those who defend the nation also defend the family,’ she remarked. Referring to her great-great-uncle, Artúr Görgei, the chief commander of the Hungarian Defence Forces and Minister of War during the 1848–49 revolution and war of independence, she stated that his decision to lay down arms near Világos on 13 August 1849, against overwhelming odds, was an ‘act of life protection’ rather than a capitulation, recognizing that in a hopeless fight, life was more important, thus ensuring the survival of the soldiers entrusted to him.
The internal inauguration concluded with the presentation of recognitions and a commemoration of Ferenc Hegedüs, a tank sergeant who passed away at the age of 103 in 2017, at the memorial plaque located at the building named after the veteran. ‘My grandfather, a graduate of Jutasi, went through the war, returned but was blacklisted and unemployed for a year. He eventually found work at the Kecskemét canning factory and Volán. He retired in 1976 but continued office work until he was 95,’ recalled his grandson, Ferenc Hegedüs Jr. He also mentioned that his grandfather had often remarked that he had not ruled out the possibility of another significant armed conflict in Europe, which has been validated by the ongoing Russo–Ukrainian war for the past year and a half. ‘I wish the new graduates to be able to serve in peace,’ he concluded.
This year’s NCO inauguration will be held on Saturday, 13 July, at Heroes’ Square in Budapest.
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