Hungarians Leave for Peacekeeping Mission in Iraq

A Hungarian military contingent, partly composed of reservists, begins its six-month duty in Iraq. The 139 soldiers were bid farewell on Wednesday in the main square of Nyíregyháza, NE Hungary, in the presence of their relatives and military leaders.

This is the first contingent in the history of the Hungarian Defense Forces to be made up of a significant proportion of reserve soldiers, with 41 reservists taking part in the US-led coalition mission alongside active personnel.

The members of the contingent come from some 20 military organizations and have been preparing for three months for the six-month mission abroad. Their contribution is part of a joint international effort to combat terrorism.

This is the first time that Hungarian reserve personnel are taking part in the Iraqi mission, following a successful US exercise and a deployment to Kosovo, which began last year. The members of the contingent will begin their mission with more modern weapons and equipment than before.

The Hungarian contingent will be deployed in the Erbil area. This area is currently calm, but the safe execution of tasks requires constant attention and focus from the soldiers. In addition to extreme weather conditions, the ever-changing security environment requires constant adaptation.