Highly commended Colonel General Dr. Tibor Benkő was born in Nyíregyháza in 1955. He trained at the prestigious Kossuth Lajos Military College and studied at Szent István University. He later studied and graduated from Kalinin Artillery Military Academy in Leningrad and the Army War College in the United States.
He has served in the Hungarian army since 1979, and became the Chief of Staff of the Hungarian Defence Forces in 2010.
As a senior military officer, he is extremely familiar with the system of national defence, and will take his seat among members of his staff as the head of the Ministry of defence.
Among a dozen of other commendations, he has been awarded the Hungarian Order of Merit Commander's Cross with Star, military division and the Legion of Merit (Commander Degree).
One of his main tasks as minister of Defence will be to organize the voluntary territorial reserve units. He has also said that he will work to improve the country’s defence.
General Benkő is married with two children and likes to spend his free time with his grandchildren.