A Global Diaspora: Hungarians In Afghanistan

Hungary has had a notable presence in Afghanistan since the start of the NATO mission in 2003. The country has contributed to the evacuation of civilians from Afghanistan, airlifting 540 people, including Hungarian citizens and Afghans who worked with Hungarian forces. Hungary's military presence in Afghanistan has included around 100 troops in the NATO-led ISAF force, with Hungarian soldiers assisting with the training of the Afghan National Army and Air Force. The Hungarian Defence Forces have also sustained casualties in Afghanistan, with seven soldiers losing their lives during their deployment.

Hungary's evacuation of 540 people from Afghanistan

On August 26, 2021, Hungary announced that it had successfully evacuated 540 people from Afghanistan, including Hungarian citizens and Afghans and their families who had previously worked for Hungarian forces. The evacuation mission, carried out by two Hungarian military transport aircraft, ended on the same day.

The Hungarian Defence Minister, Tibor Benko, stated that the operation began on August 19 and involved flying evacuees from Afghanistan to Uzbekistan using two Airbus A319s. The evacuees were then transferred to commercial airline jets that brought them to Hungary. Benko confirmed that all Hungarians requesting assistance, as well as Afghan citizens who had cooperated with Hungarian forces during their 18-year deployment and requested evacuation in a timely manner, were successfully evacuated. This included 57 families and 180 children, with 87% of Afghans with ties to Hungary being evacuated.

The evacuation was conducted in response to the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan and the subsequent pressure to complete the evacuations of foreigners and Afghans who had worked with Western countries during the 20-year war. Hungary joined the NATO mission in Afghanistan in 2003 and participated in the infantry squadron, primarily focusing on the reconstruction of the province. The Hungarian Defence Minister commended the Hungarian forces for their bravery and organisation during the evacuation operation.

Lieutenant General Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi, the commander of the Hungarian army, highlighted the challenges faced during the evacuation. He mentioned that Hungarian soldiers had to find creative solutions to get everyone onto the aircraft within the limited time frame of 30 minutes on the tarmac in Kabul. He also emphasised that the planes could only carry 50-60 people per round due to weight restrictions, and that 14 broadcasts were made between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan. Ruszin-Szendi concluded that the Hungarian army made history with this operation, demonstrating its capabilities and quick response time.

The Hungarian Defence Forces

Hungary joined the NATO/ISAF mission in 2003. Budapest initially deployed 413 soldiers in Afghanistan, who operated a Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in the northern province of Baghlan. Hungarian soldiers also assisted with Afghan National Army and Air Force training. A joint U.S.-Hungarian Operational Mentor and Liaison Team (OMLT) closely cooperated with an Afghan battalion in Baghlan for in-the-field training and support action. Hungary also had a Special Operations Unit deployed in Afghanistan.

Hungarian forces sustained seven casualties, six of whom died in combat. Despite these losses, the majority of Hungarian officials and the public remained committed to a military presence in Afghanistan.

In 2016, Hungary had about 100 HDF troops in the NATO-led ISAF force in Afghanistan. The Hungarian Defence Minister, Tibor Benko, stated that Hungarian forces had evacuated 540 people from Afghanistan, including all Hungarian citizens known to be in the country.

The Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) mission in Afghanistan was the most successful operation of the HDF, which was terminated in March 2013.

Hungarians in Afghanistan

Hungary has been present with troops in Afghanistan since the start of the NATO mission in 2003. In 2016, Hungary had around 100 troops in Afghanistan as part of the NATO-led ISAF force. In 2005, Hungary still had troops in Afghanistan as part of the International Security Assistance Force.

Hungary joined the NATO/ISAF mission in 2003 and in 2012, Budapest had 413 soldiers deployed in Afghanistan. Hungarian soldiers were operating a Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in the northern province of Baghlan, assisting with Afghan National Army and Air Force training. A joint U.S.-Hungarian Operational Mentor and Liaison Team (OMLT) closely cooperated with an Afghan battalion in Baghlan for in-the-field training and support action. Hungary also had a Special Operations Unit deployed in Afghanistan.

Hungarian forces have sustained seven casualties so far, with six dying in combat and one dying of a heart attack. In 2021, Hungary airlifted 540 people from Afghanistan, including Hungarian, Austrian, Afghan and American nationals, flying them by military plane from Kabul to Uzbekistan, and then by commercial airline jet to Budapest.

Hungary's 18-year mission in Afghanistan

Hungary was a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and a US ally, so it participated in the execution of the project to rebuild Afghanistan by sending troops. Initially, Hungarian soldiers were not authorised to engage in combat. The Hungarian Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) operated in the relatively peaceful province of Baghlan from 1 October 2006 to 31 March 2013. Later, the caveats were mostly removed, and so-called US-Hungarian Operational Mentoring and Liaison Teams (OMLTs) and Special Operations Teams were deployed.

Hungary's mission in Afghanistan was not without casualties. In the summer of 2008, two Hungarian EOD specialists were killed. In 2010, a female soldier was killed and a male soldier severely wounded in an ambush on a PRT convoy. In 2011, two more soldiers, a woman and a man, died in a road accident while carrying out a logistical task. The same year, a Hungarian medical officer suffered a heart attack in the PRT camp and died.

In August 2021, Hungary organised the evacuation of 26 Hungarian nationals working as contractors from Afghanistan. Hungarian Defence Minister Tibor Benkő stated that Hungarian forces had evacuated 540 people from Afghanistan, including all Hungarian citizens known to be in the country. This included Hungarian-Afghan dual citizens and locals who had aided the Hungarian mission. Hungarian planes made 14 trips between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan, evacuating 57 Afghan families, including 180 children.

Hungary's contribution to NATO/ISAF mission in Afghanistan

Hungary's contribution to the NATO/ISAF mission in Afghanistan was multifaceted. Hungarian and American servicemen fought side by side in Afghanistan as well as in other key theatres around the globe. Hungary provided combat forces that protected Kabul International Airport (KAIA), special operations forces without caveats, and mentors and trainers. Hungary also provided a Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Afghanistan's Baghlan Province that implemented civilian development projects in cooperation with USAID.

Hungary's involvement in Afghanistan began in 2001 when the Hungarian infantry unit was situated in Kabul. In October 2006, Hungary requisitioned its forces and took over responsibility from the Dutch for the Provincial Reconstruction Team in the town of Pul-e Khumri, the capital of Baghlan province. From October 2008, one of Hungary's tasks was to provide security at Kabul International Airport. In 2008, Hungarian special forces were deployed to southern Afghanistan to carry out special reconnaissance and patrol operations. In 2010, Budapest added 200 soldiers to the 340 troops it already had in Afghanistan working in reconstruction and training.

Hungary's participation in the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan continued in the framework of the Resolute Support Mission (RSM), which started on 1 January 2015. The new mission focused on training and mentoring the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) and advising government organs. Hungary's contributions to the new mission included a Special Operations Contingent, a Mi-17 transport helicopter Air Advisory Team, a National Support Element, a Force Protection Platoon, and several officers delegated to commands on different levels—amounting to a total troop strength of around 100 people.

Hungary also contributed to critical NATO capabilities. As a regular host and participating member in the Strategic Airlift Capability Program (SAC), Hungary contributed to meeting critical NATO and EU capability shortfalls. The Heavy Airlift Wing (HAW) based at Pápa airbase in Hungary remained the operational unit of SAC and featured three state-of-the-art C-17 strategic lift aircraft regularly employed in diverse mission sets, including supply missions to Afghanistan.

Hungary also led NATO's only accredited Military Medical Centre of Excellence since 2009, providing cutting-edge combat medical training and expertise to deployed forces.

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