Rapid Forces Division

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.[1]

Rapid Forces Division
Division Schnelle Kräfte
Division Schnelle Kräfte Shoulder Insignia
Active
  • 1956–1994, 1994–2001
  • 2001–present (DSK since 1 January 2014)
CountryGermany
BranchArmy
TypeAir assault, Special Operations
RoleAirborne warfare
Size
  • 9,500 German
  • 2,300 Dutch
Part ofGerman Army
Garrison/HQStadtallendorf
Motto(s)Ready for action, at any time, worldwide!
Einsatzbereit, jederzeit, weltweit!
AnniversariesApril 1, 2001
EngagementsSomalian Civil War
Bosnian Civil War
Albanian Civil War
Kosovo War
Afghanistan War
Congolese Civil War
Commanders
Current
commander		Major General Hannemann
Notable
commanders		Lieutenant General Hans-Otto Budde
Lieutenant General Jörg Vollmer

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 of 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]

Structure May 2020
Main article: Structure of the German Army
Organization of the Rapid Forces Division.
  • Rapid Forces Division (Division Schnelle Kräfte), in Stadtallendorf
    • Staff and Signal Company, Rapid Forces Division, in Stadtallendorf
    • 1st Airborne Brigade (Luftlandebrigade 1), in Saarlouis
    • 11th Airmobile Brigade (11 Luchtmobiele Brigade), in Schaarsbergen[5]
    • Special Forces Command (Kommando Spezialkräfte) (KSK), in Calw
    • 10th Transport Helicopter Regiment (Transporthubschrauberregiment 10), in Faßberg
    • 30th Transport Helicopter Regiment (Transporthubschrauberregiment 30), in Niederstetten
    • 36th Attack Helicopter Regiment (Kampfhubschrauberregiment 36), in Fritzlar

Geographic Distribution
R. Forces Division
1 Airborne Brigade
260 Engineer
26 Parachute
31 Parachute
310 Recon
270 Engineer
260 Recon
10 Helicopter
30 Helicopter
36 Helicopter
Locations of the army's units:
Units: Paratroopers, Special Forces, Reconnaissance, Engineer, Army Aviation

References
  1. "Germany, Romania and the Czech Republic deepen defence ties". NATO. NATO. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
  2. "Division Schnelle Kräfte" (in German). German Army. 14 July 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  3. "11 Luchtmobiele Brigade" (in Dutch). Dutch Army. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  4. "Starkes Zeichen für gemeinsame Verantwortung in Europa" [A strong Sign for joint Responsibility in Europe] (in German). Federal Ministry of Defence. 13 June 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  5. "11 Luchtmobiele Brigade". Royal Netherlands Army. Retrieved 30 April 2020.

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