Running until 21st October, the Brave Warrior 2015 military exercise has started. In the morning of Thursday, 17 September, Hungarian and American troops crossed a section of the Moson-Danube at Győr as part of the NATO training series.
The exercise was visited by Colleen Bell, Ambassador of the United States of America to Hungary, Tamás Vargha, Parliamentary State Secretary of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Brig.-Gen. Timothy J. Daugherty, Deputy Commander, US 4th Infantry Division.
After the demonstration, Tamás Vargha reminded those present that in the last 16 years, since Hungary has been a member of NATO, Hungarian troops have participated in several joint exercises, doing their best to develop their capabilities.
He said that as the military vehicles had been crossing the mobile bridge over the Moson Danube, Hungary had also crossed a river in a non-literal sense, because the exercise had been directed by a Hungarian general. He concluded his assessment by thanking the Hungarian troops for their service in the recent period. He stated that our soldiers had been working at full stretch, far from their families, not only while planning and conducting the exercise but also while defending the southern border of Hungary.
Colleen Bell said that there is important and close security cooperation between Hungary and the United States of America, and during the present cooperation Hungary has proven to be a strong, reliable and enthusiastic partner. In her assessment, the exercise is a very important event. She added that NATO plays an exemplary role in the field of peace, security and stability, and the work of this successful alliance must be carried on.
Brig.-Gen. Timothy J. Daugherty – a participant of the exercise himself – told us that the fact that these soldiers were working together in an exactly specified period is a proof of the capability that they and their countries have gained during cooperation in NATO.
At the demonstration held on Thursday morning, the Hungarian and American troops jointly crossed a section of the Moson Danube at Győr. Part of this area is a military training field of the Hungarian Defence Forces, and another part of it belongs to the local government of Győr. After securing the two banks of the river, the Hungarian soldiers finished the construction of a floating bridge which was later crossed, in six phases, by a total of 50 military vehicles – among them, Stryker combat vehicles – carrying US troops.
During the operation, Gripen fighter planes were providing air cover. Concurrent with the exercise, paratroops of the US 173rd Airmobile Brigade and the HDF 88th Light Infantry Battalion jumped from C–17 Globemaster transport aircraft over the airport of Pér.
Started in Hungary on Thursday, the exercise is running until 21st October. During the six weeks, after the region of Győr, joint training and tactical practice will be conducted near Újmajor and Várpalota. The tactical exercise in Hungary will involve altogether more than 1,200 troops from six nations, although not at the same time. Most of them, around 500 soldiers, have arrived from the units of the US Army in Europe.
(Ministry of Defence)
