The ceremonial swearing-in of the graduates of the Hungarian Defense Forces Non-commissioned Officer Academy took place on Saturday.Continue reading
The government will provide higher scholarships and free meals to students in defense schools, i.e. public education and vocational training institutions under the control of the Ministry of Defense.
According to the Ministry’s statement, cadets will receive a monthly scholarship of between 16,000-67,000 forints (EUR 41-172) from the second half of the ninth grade, depending on their academic average. The scholarships will be modified retroactively until 1 February, with the difference being reimbursed to students in one lump sum until 60 days after the publication of the modification.
Moreover, pupils of public education and vocational training institutions under the responsibility of the Minister of Defense will also receive free meals from 1 September.
The statement quoted Defense Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky as saying that “young people are increasingly saying ‘yes’ to serving their country and we want to support this commitment”. The government wants to offer as much support as possible to young people interested in defense, because “defending the country requires not only modern equipment, but also well-prepared young people with the right moral and patriotic outlook”, he stressed.
The summer was not without defense programs for young people either, with military-themed camps for students being held in a number of locations to bring them closer to the service.
As Hungary Today reported earlier, the Hungarian Defense Forces held a parachute camp in Szolnok, and a warrior-themed defense camp was organized for the first time this year in Újszász in eastern Hungary. In the latter one, the youngsters were introduced to field orientation, age-appropriate combat, survival techniques, and basic health and self-defense skills. They also had the opportunity to try out air-soft weapons and test their physical fitness on the mobile military obstacle course.
Photo: Honvédelem.hu/MH 2. TVE
Camps were held in Nyíregyháza and Nyíradony in eastern Hungary as well. In Nyíradony, participants spent their days doing sports, learning the basics of military hand-to-hand combat and boxing, while also gaining experience in self-defense. In Nyíregyháza, the focus was on defense sports for 15-18 year olds, who learned the basics of judo and military hand-to-hand combat, tried out the VR-glasses supported Gripen simulator, camouflage techniques, and different types of shelter construction.
Featured photo via Honvédelem.hu/Balogh János Pál őrvezető
