The Division Schnelle Kräfte (Rapid Forces Division) formerly Division Spezielle Operationen (Special Operations Division) is an airborne division of the German Army. Its headquarters staff is based at Stadtallendorf. It was created as 1st Airborne Division (1. Luftlandedivision) in 1956 and reflagged twice in 1994 and 2001 as Airmobile Forces Command/4th Division (Kommando Luftbewegliche Kräfte/4. Division), Special Operations Division and eventually Rapid Forces Division. The division leads three combat brigades and special forces troops, all of which are fully air-mobile. In June 2014, the Dutch 11 Airmobile Brigade was fully integrated into the division as part of the binational military cooperation between Germany and the Netherlands and in 2017 the Romanian 81st Mechanized Brigade followed suit.
Troops of this division or its respective predecessors have taken part in all overseas deployments of the German Army and were largely involved in their preparation. It is the most combat-proven unit of the German military.
History
Created in 1956, 1st Airborne Division's main tasks were to act as the backbone of counterattacks behind the enemy lines of the Warsaw Pact and to respond to hostile breaks through allied front lines. The very first commanders of this unit were illustrious paratrooper generals such as Bern von Baer and Hans Kroh, both recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The 1st Airborne Division existed throughout the Cold War and was disbanded in 1994. The capability for air-transportable forces was eventually replaced by Airmobile Forces Command/4th Division, a division-sized formation the duties of which shifted to more complex scenarios of current days.
This happened mainly because of two incidents in 1994 and 1997 where German citizens had to be rescued from Rwanda and Albania, once even by foreign troops as the German military lacked of adequate forces to carry out evacuation operations on their own. One of the three existing brigades (Airborne Brigade 25 "Black Forest") was drawn on to provide the headquarters for the German Army's new special forces unit, the Kommando Spezialkräfte.
The first overseas deployment of this division took place in 1961 when its troops rendered humanitarian assistance to Morocco after a devastating earthquake. From there on 1st Airborne Division or its successors deployed troops to Somalia, Croatia, Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Congo. The paratroopers saw extensive action in Afghanistan. With four of the nation's highest awards for gallantryâ€"among othersâ€"having been awarded to its members, the division's Paratrooper Battalion 263 is the most decorated unit of the German Army.
Following the restructuring of the German armed forces, the Special Operations Division was transferred into the new Rapid Forces Division (German: Division Schnelle Kräfte).
In June 2014 the 11 Luchtmobiele Brigade (11th Airmobile Brigade) of the Royal Netherlands Army joined the division. The Dutch forces will remain stationed in the Netherlands but will cooperate in training and exercises of their German counterparts. In 2017 the 81st Mechanized Brigade of the Romanian Land Forces joined the division.
Structure
- Division Schnelle Kräfte in Stadtallendorf
- Staff and Signal Company Division Schnelle Kräfte in Stadtallendorf
- 10th Transport Helicopter Regiment (Transporthubschrauberregiment 10) in Faßberg with 40x NH90 transport helicopters
- 30th Transport Helicopter Regiment (Transporthubschrauberregiment 30) in Niederstetten with 40x NH90 transport helicopters
- 36h Attack Helicopter Regiment Kampfhubschrauberregiment 36) in Fritzlar with 40x Eurocopter Tiger attack helicopters
- Special Forces Command (Kommando Spezialkräfte) (KSK) in Calw
- 1st Airborne Brigade (Luftlandebrigade 1) in Saarlouis
- Staff and Signal Company 26th Airborne Brigade in Saarlouis
- 26th Parachute Infantry Regiment (Fallschirmjägerregiment 26) in Zweibrücken
- 1x Staff, 2x Special Operations, 3x Parachute Infantry, 1x Heavy Weapons, 1x Supply, 1x Medical, 1x Reserve, and 1x Training Company
- 31st Parachute Infantry Regiment (Fallschirmjägerregiment 31) in Seedorf
- 1x Staff, 2x Special Operations, 3x Parachute Infantry, 1x Heavy Weapons, 1x Supply, 1x Medical, 1x Reserve, and 1x Training Company
- 310th Airborne Reconnaissance Company (Luftlandeaufklärungskompanie 310) in Seedorf
- 260th Airborne Reconnaissance Company (Luftlandeaufklärungskompanie 260) in Lebach
- 270th Airborne Engineer Company (Luftlandepionierkompanie 270) in Seedorf
- 260th Airborne Engineer Company (Luftlandepionierkompanie 260) in Saarlouis
- 11th Airmobile Brigade (11 Luchtmobiele Brigade) in Schaarsbergen, Netherlands
- 11th Staff Company in Schaarsbergen
- 11th Brigade Reconnaissance Squadron (11 Brigadeverkenningseskadron) in Schaarsbergen
- 11th Air Assault Infantry Battalion (11 Infanteriebataljon Garde Grenadiers en Jagers) in Schaarsbergen
- 12th Air Assault Infantry Battalion (12 Infanteriebataljon Regiment Van Heutsz) in Schaarsbergen
- 13th Air Assault Infantry Battalion (13 Infanteriebataljon Regiment Stoottroepen Prins Bernhard) in Assen
- 11th Engineer Company (11 Geniecompagnie) in Schaarsbergen
- 11th Maintenance Company (11 Geneeskundige Compagnie) in Assen
- 11th Medical Company (11 Herstelcompagnie) in Schaarsbergen
- 11th Supply Company (11 Bevoorradingscompagnie) in Schaarsbergen
- 20th National Reserve Battalion (20 Natresbataljon)
- 81st Mechanized Brigade in Bistrița, Romania
References
External links
- Official Website of the Division Schnelle Kräfte
