Special Operations Division (Bundeswehr)
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Rapid Forces Division Division Schnelle Kräfte |
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|---|---|
.svg)
Division Schnelle Kräfte Shoulder Insignia
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| Active |
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| Country | Germany |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Air assault, Special Operations |
| Role | Airborne warfare |
| Size |
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| Part of | German Army |
| Garrison/HQ | Stadtallendorf |
| Motto(s) | Ready for action, at any time, worldwide! Einsatzbereit, jederzeit, weltweit! |
| Anniversaries | April 1, 2001 |
| Engagements |
Somalian Civil War
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| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Major General Andreas Marlow |
| Notable commanders |
Lieutenant General Hans-Otto Budde |
Somalian Civil War
Bosnian Civil War
Albanian Civil War
Kosovo War
Afghanistan War
Lieutenant General Hans-Otto Budde
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.
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.
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Wikipedia