Valiant Panther: Hungarian and U.S. Forces Strengthen Ties through Military Exercise

“The exchange of experience and joint exercises are important, but the primary goal is to strengthen Hungarian-American cooperation and friendship,” said Brigadier General Matthew S. Woodruff, after viewing the final exercise of Valiant Panther 2024 on May 28. Reservists from the Ohio National Guard and the host Transdanubian Territorial Defense Regiments exercised in Újdörögd (western Hungary), Honvedelem.hu reports.

During the week and a half preceding the final exercise, the reservists from the Transdanubian Territorial Defense Regiment of the Hungarian Defense Forces and the Ohio National Guard received first individual and then squad-level training from their mentors. They participated in live-fire exercises, executed marches under specific combat orders, and responded to small-arms fire and gas attack threats in a situational exercise.

During the final exercise, the reservists practiced live firing. They were tasked to take up defensive positions to strategically disperse the enemy on the battlefield. Following the first maneuver, they counter-attacked, i.e. as ordered, they assaulted and defeated the opposing forces.

The significance of the event is reflected in the fact that the closing exercise was witnessed by Brigadier General Dr. László Drót, Commander of the Defense Forces Area Command, and Brigadier General Matthew S. Woodruff of the Ohio National Guard.

Preparations are well underway for the Ohio National Guard’s 2026 validation exercise, that will include the participation of a Hungarian company. We are practicing defense now and next year the focus will be on offense. The conclusion of Valiant Panther 2024 is that the cooperation between the U.S. and Hungarian soldiers is very smooth, they understand each other’s command words,”

said Brigadier General Dr. László Drót.

Based on his own experiences, Brigadier General Matthew S. Woodruff encouraged his soldiers to get to know Hungary’s culture and Budapest, “the most beautiful capital of Europe.” He added:

We have had a very close military partnership for thirty years. Fifteen to twenty joint exercises take place in Hungary every year and we would like to continue this.”

Reserve Lieutenant General Dávid Lengyel, commander of the first platoon of the Hungarian personnel participating in the exercise, said that “the most important part of the exercise was the exchange of experience. There is no right or wrong solution here, both procedures are useful. For example, when assaulting, we hold the weapon in different ways, and we taught each other that. However, we also played two different ways of getting from one point to another in an imaginary war zone. We gained a lot of experience.”

The overseas guests, including reserve soldier and platoon commander Jordan Frisco, spoke with similar enthusiasm about their experiences. “We really enjoyed the activities together. We started to learn about Hungarian culture, for example, we tasted typical Hungarian dishes. I have been to Europe several times, but this is my first time in Hungary and it is a lot like home. Ohio is also famous for its mountainous landscapes, like the Bakony, and we have a lake that resembles Lake Balaton. We were in the same shoes in the exercise: on both sides, the more experienced and less experienced soldiers shared their knowledge of communication, shooting and team execution,” Frisco concluded.

Via Honvedelem.hu, Featured image: Honvedelem.hu