Ohio National Guard News

Ohio Soldiers Observe Exercise Neighbors 2015

Groundwork laid for future operations with Hungarian, Serbian partners
Video, story and photos by Staff Sgt. George B. Davis, Ohio National Guard Public Affairs

Soldiers from the Ohio National Guard visited Hungary to observe Infantry units from the
Serbian Land Forces and Hungarian Military that participated in Exercise Neighbors 2015.

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Serbian Armed Forces infantrymen join with Hungarian army infantrymen to conduct Exercise Neighbors 2015, Sept. 24, 2015, at the Ádám Voy Training center near Debrecen, Hungary. Exercise Neighbors is a partner program between Hungary and the Republic of Serbia that began six years ago.

A Hungarian BTR-80A armored personnel carrier.

DEBRECEN, Hungary (09/24/15) — Ohio National Guard Soldiers traveled to Hungary in late September as part of the National Guard State Partnership Program to observe Ohio’s partner nations conducting a bilateral training exercise involving mechanized infantry tactics at the Hungarian Ádám Voy Training Center.

Serbian Armed Forces infantrymen from 1st Company, 11th Battalion, 1st Infantry Brigade joined with Hungarian infantrymen of 2nd Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Infantry Brigade to conduct mounted and dismounted attack drills with Hungarian BTR-80A armored personnel carriers.

“Exercise Neighbors 2015 is a partner program between Hungary and the Republic of Serbia, which started six years ago,” said Lt. Col. Laszlo Fábián, commander, 3rd Battalion, 5th Infantry Brigade and officer in charge of Exercise Neighbors 2015. “The main purpose of this exercise is to exchange experiences between the two armies and, of course, to bring the officers and soldiers closer together.”

The State Partnership Program links U.S. states with partner countries for the purpose of improving international relations. Ohio has existing partnerships with both Hungary and the Republic of Serbia, the primary participants in Exercise Neighbors. “By sending observers we can further develop relationships with both partner nations at one event,” said Capt. Nathan Smith, Ohio National Guard State Partnership Program director.

Training events like Exercise Neighbors 2015 provide valuable experience that can be employed during future tactical operations, said 2nd Lt. Ivan Miletić, Training Officer, 11th Infantry Battalion, 1st Brigade, Serbian Land Forces. “The Serbian Army is conducting tasks in multinational operations using this knowledge as a base,” Miletić said.

Brig. Gen. Joseph Szpisják, commander of Hungarian Defense Forces Training and Doctrine Center, said the strong partnerships that Hungary and Serbia have with Ohio are a basis for all three militaries to work together more in the future, potentially in an expanded, larger-scale capacity. “It is very important that the three nations learn to work together,” Szpisják said.

The State Partnership Program sent Capt. James G. Field, commander of Company C, 1st, Battalion, 148th Infantry Regiment, as the primary observer from the Ohio National Guard. Two mechanized infantry master gunner trained Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 145th Armored Regiment — Sgts. 1st Class Matthew D. Graham and Raymond B. Kunkler — also served as observers for the exercise, contributing their expertise when needed.

“The task that we were given (for Exercise Neighbors) was to see if, in the future, this could go from a bilateral exercise with Hungary and Serbia, which are our partner nations, to becoming more of a trilateral exercise where we can start involving some infantrymen from the Ohio National Guard,” Field said.

EDITOR’S NOTE:
This is part of a series of features that highlight Ohio’s participation in the National Guard State Partnership Program.