Reservists hone shooting skills in territorial defense practice
Hungarian Defense Forces Train Territorial Defense Reservists in Eastern Hungary
The Commander of the Area Protection and Combat Support Command of the Hungarian Defense Forces, Brigadier General László Drót, announced on Saturday that training for territorial defense reservists took place at the 5th Bocskai István Rifle Brigade at the Vay Adam Training Base in Hajdúhadháza, located in Eastern Hungary, over the weekend.
Brigadier General László Drót mentioned that the Defense Forces began building up the area defense reserve system in 2017. By 2023, seven regiments covering the entire country had been established, with one area defense reserve battalion serving in each county.
An essential principle in forming the Territorial Defense Reserve Corps is to recruit, train, and deploy locally. A large-scale reserve recruitment campaign was launched in June of last year to build up a larger reserve force.
More than 4,000 reservists have joined the system as a result of this campaign, according to László Drót. During the weekend exercise, 102 soldiers from various regions participated in marksmanship training. All reservists undergo basic training within a year of enlistment, followed by specialized training like the current shooting exercise.
Following training on individual skills, field defense reservists will engage in unit training, as stated by the brigadier general.
Each module for Territorial Reserve soldiers lasts for 48 hours, where they carry out tasks continuously without breaks, even at night. László Drót highlighted that in the final hours of the 48-hour exercise, personnel must perform their tasks continuously, which requires night training without breaks.
Sergeant Major Sándor Reményi, a Training Soldier of the Antal Vattay 2nd Territorial Protection Regiment, mentioned that the personnel are highly motivated and enjoy combat training tasks. They are currently working with foreign reservists, and the instructors aim to make marksmanship training a valuable experience that motivates all personnel to learn new skills.
Ildikó Börcsök, reserve sergeant major, found it exciting to collaborate with foreign comrades during the exercise. She emphasized the improvement in reacting to powerful enemies, clearing fighters, and overcoming natural obstacles as part of the training.
The Hungarian Defense Forces are dedicated to training and preparing territorial defense reservists for various tasks, ensuring readiness and effectiveness in safeguarding the country’s security.
