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An Ohio National Guard delegation led by Brig. Gen. Matthew Woodruff, Ohio adjutant general, conducted a weeklong visit to Hungary and Serbia in the fall of 2025 as part of an annual State Partnership Program capstone.
The capstone celebrated the 32nd anniversary of the partnership between Ohio and Hungary and marked the 19th anniversary of Ohio’s partnership with Serbia through the State Partnership Program, or SPP. The yearly capstone event highlights and celebrates the importance of these partnerships.
The SPP is a National Guard-led security cooperation program that builds enduring, mutually beneficial military and civil-military relationships with partner nations to support U.S. defense objectives and partner capacity. The SPP has been successfully building relations for over 30 years and now includes 106 partnerships with 115 nations around the globe, with the goals of increasing regional security and advancing U.S. interests.
The 2025 capstone included meetings with the senior political and military officials of each country. These discussions focused on the accomplishments of the previous year and outlined future objectives of the partnerships that support strategic objectives, training readiness and interoperability.
HUNGARY
On the first day of his visit with the Hungarian Defence Forces, Woodruff met with Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, Hungarian defense minister, and Gen. Gábor Böröndi, Ph.D., chief of defense staff for the HDF. Woodruff also met with Lt. Gen. Ferenc Kajári, deputy chief of defense staff, and Lt. Gen. Zoltán Mihócza, deputy chief of staff for territorial defense.
Woodruff discussed the further possibilities of the partnership between the OHNG and the HDF, with a focus on burden shifting and burden sharing resources between partners and building challenging and impactful multilateral joint exercises and training programs.
Woodruff also met with Maj. Gen. László Antal, commander, HDF Joint Operations Command, in Székesfehérvár to further discuss the development of a joint operations command and joint command center.
The partnership between Ohio, Serbia and Hungary has fostered powerful alliances that continue to evolve and strengthen. Through various initiatives, including joint military exercises, cultural exchanges and shared training programs, the three entities are enhancing operational interoperability and joint collaboration that contribute to regional stability and security. As Ohio deepens its ties with both nations, the collective commitment to security cooperation ensures a shared vision for addressing common challenges and advancing mutual interests in the years to come.
While at the Bakonykúti venue of the pre-planned, joint, whole-of-government Exercise Adaptive Hussars 2025, Woodruff got the opportunity to ride in a Lynx armored fighting vehicle, driven by the Soldiers of the HDF 30th Mechanized Infantry Brigade.
“The Hungarian Defence Forces have an impressive number of NCOs (noncommissioned officers), officers and young Soldiers,” Woodruff said. “The young Soldiers who grew up on technologies are going to be the key to handling these advanced technologies. We’re proud from the Ohio National Guard standpoint to partner with the Hungarian Defense Forces,” adding that he would like to focus on improving upon already great exercises. “Not only do we grow as the Ohio National Guard but also build capabilities and capacities with the Hungarian Defense Forces to support NATO.”
Woodruff praised the Hungarian system of territorial defense and stated that soon, the three-decades-plus partnership may be expanded in the realms of cyber and air defense opportunities.
“I think that one of the most phenomenal developments in the Hungarian Defence Forces is the establishment of the territorial defense system with the augmentation command mobilizing volunteers, and the fact that they’ve grown 40 percent over the last two years,” Woodruff said. “The system of territorial reserve ensures that in the future, if something were to occur specifically in Hungary, the country can call in those reservists to support the Hungarian Defence Forces and the citizens of the country. This is what is critical about the Ohio National Guard, too, because we’re a community-based organization. We live where we serve.”
During the development of the Hungarian system of territorial defense within the framework of the military reform, the Hungarian Defence Forces used the fundamental principles of the Ohio National Guard, utilizing the lessons learned by the organization and borrowing several functional elements of it as a model for the planning process. The reservists coming from civilian life are locally recruited and trained in Hungary, too, and they serve near their own places of residence where they perform defensive and operational tasks.
SERBIA
Woodruff began his first official visit to the Republic of Serbia by visiting, Gen. Milan Mojsilović, chief of the Serbian Armed Forces General Staff, discussing the current security situation in the region and the world, as well as the priorities and prospects for cooperation between the Serbian Armed Forces and the Ohio National Guard.
During their meeting, Woodruff emphasized that he was prepared to continue the hard work done by the previous adjutant general, Maj. Gen. John C. Harris Jr., to further defense cooperation and interoperability.
Woodruff expressed pleasure in the growth of the partnership over the past year referencing positive results of joint activities and plans to continue efforts to expand cooperation in areas of strong mutual interest.
Discussions raised the importance of working together in exercises such as Platinum Wolf that both mutually raise the level of operational capabilities of the armed forces and strengthen the overall relations between Serbia and the United States. Talks on future exercises highlighted areas of potential development of capabilities in engineering units and cyber defense forces.
Woodruff met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, as well as Minister of Defense Bratislav Gašić and Minister of Foreign Affairs Marko Đurić where it was expressed that they would like to continue where Harris left off and have a similar relationship.
During his time in Serbia, Woodruff attended the celebration of the Day of America in the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia as well as the Power of Unity Military Parade. Woodruff addressed Parliament and received a personalized soccer jersey.
Woodruff also led his delegation to the ceremony for the 81st anniversary of the Halyard Mission in the village of Pranjani, approximately 100 miles south of Belgrade.
“More than 80 years later, we pause in humbling tribute to the Operation Halyard heroes whose indomitable spirit is forged in the transatlantic unity we are experiencing today,” Woodruff said. “We honor the Serbian people who heroically opposed tyranny and oppression. Selflessly saving downed (Allied) airmen 81 years ago created a lasting friendship between the Serbian people and the U.S. that serves as a shared bond for future partnership.”
These enduring partnerships exemplify the power of collaboration and shared values in fostering peace and security around the world. Moving forward, the continued commitment to joint initiatives and open dialogue will help enhance the collective capabilities of the SPP in furthering global stability.
| Date Taken: | 02.05.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 02.05.2026 14:27 |
| Story ID: | 557546 |
| Location: | COLUMBUS, OHIO, US |
| Web Views: | 37 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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