Books & more: Swiss Enlightenment thinker

The 17er, a special forces unit, is the only paratrooper unit of the Swiss Army. The company is under the command of the Air Force and originally had two missions: covert operations behind enemy lines and long-range reconnaissance behind enemy lines or in enemy-occupied territory.

The main focus of the reserve unit now lies "only" in long-range reconnaissance. The association shines through exclusivity: since 1968, only 400 paratrooper reconnaissance soldiers have worn the coveted specialist badge of the unit. Kaj-Gunnar Sievert, known as an author of military articles and books, was the commander of the unit for four years, about which he writes here. Good texts and good illustrations make "The 17er" a book about a relatively little-known special forces unit that is worth picking up.

“Die 17er: Die Fallschirmaufklärer der Schweizer Armee“, by Kaj-Gunnar Sievert, Motorbuch Verlag, 2011, 192 pages. The book costs Euro 29.90 in bookstores or on Amazon.