The Hungarian 34th Laszlo Bercsenyi Special Forces Battalion: Great Capabilities with Greater Complications

Since the fall of the Soviet Union, the global security environment has become increasingly complex, significantly less stable, and potentially more dangerous. Recent operations have demonstrated the new and complex challenges facing democratic countries all over the world. In this nonconventional environment, every nation has to have a multi-capable, widely employable force to meet the newest challenges of asymmetric warfare. The establishment of the Hungarian Special Forces Battalion revolutionized the capabilities of the ground forces in Hungary. The Special Forces battalion brought to the Hungarian Defense Forces HDF the ability to conduct military operations along the entire spectrum of conflict. As a result, the HDF possess a unique, well-trained, highly motivated unit of warriors for the first time in its history. Unfortunately, some constitutional restrictions prevent the Special Forces Battalion from achieving and maintaining its full potential. To utilize the full capabilities of the newly established unit, the Hungarian parliament must reduce the constitutional restrictions on employment of the military outside of the NATO and United Nations alliance system and relax the strict medical standards that currently exist.