Rapid Forces Division Explained

Unit Name:Rapid Forces Division
Native Name:German: Division Schnelle Kräfte
Country:
(since 2014)
Type:Rapid deployment force
Special forces
Allegiance:
Branch:Army
Dates:
  • 1956–1994, 1994–2001
  • 2001–present (DSK since 1 January 2014)
Command Structure:German Army
Size:
  • 9,500 German
  • 2,300 Dutch
Current Commander:Major General Dirk Faust
Garrison:Stadtallendorf
Motto:Ready for action, at any time, worldwide!
Einsatzbereit, jederzeit, weltweit!
Battles:Somalian Civil War
Bosnian Civil War
1997 Albanian civil unrest
Kosovo War
Afghanistan War

Congolese Civil War

Notable Commanders:Lieutenant General Hans-Otto Budde
Lieutenant General Jörg Vollmer
Anniversaries:April 1, 2001

The Rapid Forces Division (German: Division Schnelle Kräfte), formerly Special Operations Division, is an airborne division of the German Army that was activated in 2001 and received its current designation in 2014.

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 11th Air Mobile 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.[1]

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 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 gallantry—among others—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.[2] [3] [4]

Organization

See main article: Structure of the German Army.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Germany, Romania and the Czech Republic deepen defence ties. NATO. 23 May 2017.
  2. Web site: Division Schnelle Kräfte . https://web.archive.org/web/20140301000513/http://www.deutschesheer.de/portal/a/heer/!ut/p/c4/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP3I5EyrpHK9jNTUIr2UzNS84pLiEr2U4mz9gmxHRQC5SF74/ . dead . March 1, 2014 . . 14 July 2014 . 14 July 2014 . German.
  3. Web site: 11 Luchtmobiele Brigade . . Dutch . 14 July 2014.
  4. Web site: Starkes Zeichen für gemeinsame Verantwortung in Europa . A strong Sign for joint Responsibility in Europe . German . . 13 June 2014 . 14 July 2014.
  5. Web site: 11 Luchtmobiele Brigade . 16 September 2019 . Royal Netherlands Army . 30 April 2020.
  6. Web site: 2024-07-08 . 2023 . Bonn . Federal Ministry of Defence: Bundeswehr (Federal Armed Forces of Germany) . German Army: Special Operations Forces (Kommando Spezialkräfte) .
  7. Web site: Kommando Hubschrauber . Deutsches Heer . 21 April 2021.