Jagdkommando
| Austrian Jagdkommando | |
|---|---|
Jagdkommando logo
|
|
| Active | 1962 - Present |
| Country |
 Austria
|
| Branch |
 Austrian Army
|
| Type | Special Forces |
| Role |
Airborne operations Special Reconnaissance Unconventional Warfare Counter-Terrorism Hostage Rescue |
| Garrison/HQ | Wiener Neustadt, Austria |
| Motto(s) |
Numquam Retro (Never retreat) |
| Engagements |
KFOR EUFOR Tchad/RCA War in Afghanistan (2001–present) |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Oberst dG Horst Hofer |
The Jagdkommando (German for Hunter force) is the Austrian Armed Forces' Special Operations group.
The duties of this elite unit, like its counterparts such as the United States Army Special Forces, are chiefly counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency, among others. Jagdkommando soldiers are highly trained professionals whose thorough and rigorous training enables them to take over when tasks or situations outgrow the capabilities and specialisation of conventional units.
The name “Jagdkommando” has its origins in the time of World War I, when small assault squads of the Austrian K.u.K. Army were called what translates to “manhunt command.”
The history of the Austrian Special Operations Forces began in 1961, when a group of Austrian officers participated in the US Army's Ranger School as part of their training in order to set up a similar course for the eventual establishment of Jagdkommando. Since then, the officers and soldiers of Jagdkommando have continued to evolve by taking part in similar courses in the United States and all over Europe and by combining the lessons learned with "homegrown" tactics and knowledge. The unit has earned the respect of other nations' special forces very quickly. The headquarters of the Jagdkommando is located in Wiener Neustadt.
Most of the missions are classified, but the Jagdkommando usually operates in places where regular Austrian troops are also located - such as the Balkans (KFOR, etc.), Afghanistan (ISAF, until 2005) and Chad (EUFOR Tchad/RCA, since 2008). In the east of Chad about 50 Jagdkommando soldiers will protect refugee camps near the border to Darfur from early 2008 on.
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Wikipedia