Ohio Soldiers treated to pogacsa by Hungarian partners

By 2nd Lt. Russell P. Galeti Jr.
Ohio National Guard

Brig. Gen. Rufus Smith, right, presents Dr. Agi Risko with a plaque thanking her for preparing the Ohio Army National Guard's Operational Mentor and Liaison Team 9.3 for their joint mission with Hungary. (Photo courtesy of the Ohio National Guard)
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (3/26/09) -- While Meals Ready to Eat and frozen boxed lunches are typical fare for Soldiers during a weekend's training, the Ohio Army National Guard's Operational Mentor and Liaison Team 9.3 were recently offered the opportunity to enjoy a lunch of Hungarian cheese scones or "pogácsa" and chocolate-and-vanilla sponge cake or "somlói galuska."

On March 15, which also marked the anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, Dr. Agi Risko, from The Ohio State University's Department of Slavic and East European Languages and Literature, joined the Soldiers to present four hours of instruction on Hungarian language, history and culture.

Risko, a native of the Hungarian capitol city of Budapest and an expert on Hungarian language and culture, volunteered many hours of her time during OSU finals week in response to a request from the OMLT.

Her presentation covered thousands of years of history of the Magyar people, the multitude of invasions and revolutions they've seen and also their more recent, post-Cold War history.

Her presentation was punctuated by video documentary clips, music, anecdotes, and food - a favorite of Soldiers from any country.

While the Soldiers will receive repeated cultural awareness and theater-specific training for their time in Afghanistan, their leadership wanted to make sure they would be able to pick up on Hungarian customs and culture quickly in order forge strong relationships with their Hungarian counterparts.

"Tensions can be quite high in combat. Language and cultural barriers can elevate these tensions if not addressed," said 1st Lt. Matt France, executive officer of the OMLT. "It's very important that we quickly integrate with our partners so we can focus on our training and our mission."

By noon, the Soldiers were greeting each other with "jó napot kivánok", which is Hungarian for "good day" and saying "köszönöm" instead of "thanks" when being served their Hungarian lunches.

"The most important thing is to come to Hungary with an open mind and not make any assumptions, Risko said. "Taking the time to learn their language and show that you care about Hungarian culture will go a long way with Hungarians."

At the end of the day's lesson Army Brig. Gen. Rufus Smith, commanding general of the 174th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, greeted Risko with a warm "szervusz, köszönöm" to say hello and thank her in front of the Soldiers.

Smith also presented her with an Ohio-shaped, engraved plaque and brigade patch and welcomed her into the ranks of Ohio National Guard Champions.

Smith, who has traveled to Hungary 13 times, told Risko, "What you're doing today for these Soldiers is invaluable in laying the foundation for a strong partnership between them and their Hungarian counterparts. We're privileged to have people with your expertise right here in our community."

OMLT 9.3 is the third rotation of a unique North Atlantic Treaty Organization mission comprised of approximately 30 Ohio Army National Guard and 30 Hungarian Ground Force Soldiers. A detachment of Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 174th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, located at Defense Supply Center Columbus, the OMLT is expected to deploy to Hungary for training before deploying to Afghanistan later this year. Their mission will require them to train and work alongside their Hungarian counterparts as mentors and advisors for the Afghan national army and provide the ANA access to combat enablers such as close air support, indirect fires, medical evacuation and quick reaction forces.

The OMLT is a key NATO contribution towards the development of the ANA. The joint Ohio-Hungarian mission is a continuation of a relationship formed in 1993 between the Ohio National Guard and the Republic of Hungary as part of the National Guard Bureau's State Partnership Program (SPP).

The SPP links all 54 state and territory National Guard organizations with 56 foreign countries. The OMLT's year-long activation is expected to begin this summer.

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