Due to snow chaos: The German army in the winter of use

Germany is a country of helpers and rescuers. This proves again and again – whether rivers, along the shore, hundreds of thousands of refugees or, as currently, it’s snowing and snowing. As is almost always the police and the Technical work is then to defend next to the fire, even the Bundeswehr. In the Berchtesgadener Land countryside around 1,500 soldiers are now being used. You come out with snow shovels to get rid of in danger of collapsing roofs of the white load, or paths, to dig. In special situations the armed forces are not able to cart only on their all-terrain load and Jeeps use, but on armored vehicles, which come there to have a break where trees threaten, the danger of collapse, or the way meter-high snow-covered.

Peter Carstens

Political correspondent in Berlin

F. A. Z.

The preferred device of the Hägglund, a small Swedish tracked vehicle of the eponymous manufacturer, that has it is then. Similar vehicles are on the numerous ski trails in use. The Bundeswehr has, among other things, the protected variant, the “Bv206 S”, whose steel armor helps both in the difficult Afghan terrain, as well as when driving over snow-and breakage-prone trees. The Hägglunds look quite unspectacular: With their followers, they resemble two crates on chains. But who now looks one of the vehicles in the Berchtesgadener Land, as the other day a group of students from the St. Christopher’s schools, the barrier due to snow and road came home, the can feel more secure. And this is precisely what the Bundeswehr there is actually.

Clear statutory guidelines for the Bundeswehr mission in the Interior

on the one Hand, the people in Bavaria have now been re-weather pitch, on the other hand, but also the happiness that in the South of the country particularly capable associations of the Bundeswehr sit. Most of the helpers in the current crisis are part of the 23rd mountain infantry brigade, whose command is sitting in Bad Reichenhall. A significant part of the Association – a total of about 5,000 soldiers – is now in the snow, or in readiness for it. A larger other part of the Brigade is preparing for a time on the training ground of the army in Hammelburg on operations abroad.

The use of the Bundeswehr Inside is subject to clear legal regulations. She comes in time of Need, but not as a substitute for fire. Formally considered, it must be triggered in a County, once the case of a disaster. Then, reservists formed a “leading group of civil protection”, in short “FüGK”, in addition to other representatives of the authorities belonging to one or more officers of the Bundeswehr, mostly. The group comes to the conclusion that the civilian forces to address the situation are not enough, can be over the land command of the German armed forces requested. Such commands exist in all länder, except Berlin, where the parent command Territorial tasks of the Bundeswehr takes over the Job.