Tibor Benkő

Tibor Benkő (born 16 October 1955) is a Hungarian military officer and government official. He served as the Minister of Defence from 2018 to 2022. He previously was a four-star general in the Hungarian Defence Forces, serving as Chief of the Defence Staff from 6 June 2010 until 16 May 2018.

Early military career In 1975, he enrolled in Kossuth Lajos Military College as a rocket and field artillery major. He graduated in 1979. From 1979–1981, he served in the 36th Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment (based in Kiskunhalas) of the Hungarian People's Army as a platoon commander, then from 1981–1985 as the Regimental Operations Officer. From 1985–1988, he studied at the Soviet Army's Kalinin Artillery Academy in Leningrad (now the Mikhailovskaya Military Artillery Academy). Upon his return from the Soviet Union, he was given a staff role in the 5th Army Artillery Corps. In 1990, he became deputy brigade commander of the 36th Anti-Tank Artillery Brigade, becoming brigade commander in 1993. In 1995, he became commander of the newly reformed regiment. From 2000-2001, he studied at the United States Army War College. In 2001, he commanded the MH 5th Rifle Brigade István Bocskai.

Command positions After having studied human resources management at Szent István University from 2004–2006, he was transferred to Hungarian Army Land Command in 2005, serving as First Deputy Commander. He became acting commander a year later. From 2007–2009, he was Deputy Commander at Hungarian Armed Forces Joint Command and from 2009–2010. During this period, he studied at the Zrínyi Miklós National Defense University Kossuth Lajos Faculty of Military Science, where he defended his doctoral dissertation on Reconversion as a Strategic Issue in the Management of Human Resources of Professional Armed Forces on September 2, 2010. From 6 June 2010 until 16 May 2018, he was Chief of the Defence Staff.

Personal life General Benkő is married and has two daughters. He speaks English and Russian in addition to Hungarian.

Awards and decorations