Ohio National Guard News

State Partnership Program

Ohio, Hungary commemorate 25th anniversary of partnership

Story and photos by Staff Sgt. Michael Carden, Ohio National Guard Public Affairs

Senior leaders from the Ohio National Guard traveled to Hungary for key leader engagements with members of the Hungarian Defence Forces as part of the State Partnership Program, a U.S. Department of Defense initiative that links U.S. states with a partner country for the purpose of improving bilateral relations with the United States. The ONG has partnered with Hungary for 25 years.

Maj. Gen. Istvan Szabó (right), deputy chief of defense for the Hungarian Defence Forces, presents a book on Hungarian history to Maj. Gen. John C. Harris Jr., Ohio assistant adjutant general for Army, Sept. 19, 2018, in Budapest, Hungary.

Lt. Gen. Ferenc Korom (left), chief of staff for the Hungarian Defence Forces, and Maj. Gen. John C. Harris Jr., Ohio assistant adjutant general for Army, stand for a photo after discussions on the continuing partnership between Hungary and the Ohio National Guard.

Leaders from the Ohio National Guard tour the Hungarian Parliament as part of a cultural appreciation event Sept. 19, 2018, in Budapest, Hungary.

Maj. Gen. John C. Harris Jr. (left), Ohio assistant adjutant general for Army, shakes hands with Brig. Gen. Csaba Ugrik, commander of the 59th SZD Air Base, Sept. 18, 2018, in Kecskemét, Hungary.

Maj. Gen. John C. Harris Jr., the Ohio assistant adjutant general for Army, looks down the sights of a machine gun during a tour of a Hungarian patrol boat Sept. 19, 2018, in Budapest, Hungary.

Maj. Gen. John C. Harris Jr., Ohio assistant adjutant general for Army, is given a demonstration of some Hungarian military equipment Sept. 19, 2018, in Budapest, Hungary.

Lt. Gen. Ferenc Korom (second from left), chief of staff for the Hungarian Defence Forces, speaks with an Ohio National Guard delegation led by Maj. Gen. John C. Harris Jr. (third from right), Ohio assistant adjutant general for Army, Sept. 19, 2018, in Budapest, Hungary.

BUDAPEST, Hungary — Partnerships are built on trust, cooperation and shared goals. For the last quarter century, the Ohio National Guard and the Hungarian Defence Forces have worked together to build a lasting bond that is a source of pride to both organizations.

“It was such an honor to be in Hungary to celebrate 25 years of partnership,” said Maj. Gen. John C. Harris Jr., Ohio assistant adjutant general for Army, following a senior leader visit this fall. “These activities reinforce the strength of our partnership and remind us of the importance of operating together to build trust and confidence in our longtime friends and partners in the military profession.”

Starting back in 1993, the Department of Defense established the State Partnership Program (SPP) to link U.S. states’ National Guards with partner countries to promote regional stability and develop civil-military relationships. One of the first partnerships was between the Ohio National Guard and the Hungarian Defence Forces.

Now 25 years later, the partnership is still going strong. With more than 300 combined events, and 10 combined deployments, there is no sign of it slowing down.

Recently, Harris and Maj. Gen. Mark E. Bartman, Ohio adjutant general, traveled to Budapest to meet with Lt. Gen. Ferenc Korom, the newly appointed chief of staff for the Hungarian Defence Forces, as well as other senior leaders to coordinate future joint events.

Members of both the ONG and the HDF have traveled to each other’s countries, as both organizations have committed to regularly conducting joint military exercises, as well as senior military and civic leader visits.

“Next year we have more than 65 events planned,” said Capt. Trevor Ducey, the ONG SPP director. “More than 600 Soldiers and Airmen are headed over to work with our state partners to build interoperability and those relationships that really make a difference in a real-world event.”

One of the joint events in the planning stages calls for a HDF infantry company joining Ohio Soldiers for a training rotation at the Joint Readiness Training Center in Fort Polk, Louisiana, currently scheduled for 2021.

It’s not just the relationships at the senior leader level that are making an impact. Friendships are being forged across the board.

“We got to know them on a personal level,” said Sgt. Nathaniel Ellis, a squad leader with B Troop B, 2nd Squadron, 107th Cavalry Regiment and a participant in both exercises Neighbors 2018 and Brave Warrior 2017 in Hungary. “It’s good to see that NCOs (noncommissioned officers) and Soldiers are the same anywhere. It opened my eyes to see how good they are. You don’t get many opportunities to be a part of something like this.”

There are 74 SPP partnerships between U.S. states, territories, the District of Columbia and countries around the world. In addition to Hungary, Ohio has also partnered with Serbia since 2006.