Happy Birthday! 60 years Jagdkommando

On Tuesday, June 6, the Jagdkommando celebrated a significant anniversary. Many national and international dignitaries were welcomed to Wiener Neustadt for the occasion. Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner congratulated the Jagdkommando on their 60th anniversary: "The Jagdkommando, the elite unit of the armed forces, consists of specially selected, trained, and equipped soldiers. The extremely diverse tasks at home and abroad require a high level of mental and physical performance. The ability to solve problems unconventionally and creatively is a basic virtue of all members of the Jagdkommando. I congratulate all soldiers and civilian staff on their achievements and wish the Jagdkommando all the best for this milestone anniversary."

To give the public a rare glimpse behind the scenes and into the history of the Jagdkommando, the unit will open its doors on Thursday, June 7. During an "Open Day," the unit will present itself at various stations.

In 1963, the order was given to conduct the first Jagdkommando basic course, and the Jagdkommando was established as a company for special operations. Today, the Jagdkommando is the most experienced operational unit of the Austrian Armed Forces. The aim of the newly started training at that time was to continue the fight in enemy-occupied territory with regular forces, known as Jagdkommandos.

The tasks of the Jagdkommando include specialized reconnaissance to obtain high-value information, commando operations- the Jagdkommando is the anti-terrorism unit of the armed forces, military support in training soldiers, initial response force of the armed forces in Austria's areas of interest, combat-capable search and rescue, military evacuation operations, and the deployment of consular support teams. In recent years, the Jagdkommando has been able to demonstrate these capabilities. Austrian citizens were evacuated from Kabul in 2021. They have also been supporting the embassy in Kyiv since February of last year. "The Jagdkommando is always there where no one else dares to go, ensuring the protection of Austrians around the world," said Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner.

"Numquam retro - Never backwards." The motto of the Jagdkommando refers to the Payer-Weyprecht expedition and the discovery of Franz Josef Land in 1874. Exceptional endurance, determination, camaraderie, and sense of duty were crucial to the success of this expedition.

ARMED FORCES on the Internet