Kampfretter (german: Kampfretter, lit=Combat rescuemen) is a special operations force of the

German Air Force The German Air Force (german: Luftwaffe, lit=air weapon or air arm, ) is the aerial warfare branch of the , the armed forces of Germany. The German Air Force (as part of the ''Bundeswehr'') was founded in 1956 during the era of the Cold War a ...

, tasked with combat search and rescue (CSAR) missions. As part of

personnel recovery The United States Armed Forces, in Joint Publication 3-50 Personnel Recovery, defines personnel recovery as "the sum of military, diplomatic, and civil efforts to prepare for and execute the recovery and reintegration of isolated personnel." The ...

Kampfretter units are tasked with the recovery of air crews and personnel in hazardous regions or behind enemy lines.

Selection and training

Candidates for serving as part of the Kampfretter units are recruited from the

German Air Force Regiment ) , command_structure= , current_commander=Colonel (''Oberst'') Marc Vogt , garrison=I. Bn - SchortensII. Bn - DiepholzIII. Bn - Diepholz/SchortensRegt HQ - Schortens , battles=War in Afghanistan• ISAF , identification_symbol = , identification ...

. In order to increase the number of candidates, recruitment is being opened continuously for members of the German Army's

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 1s ...

. The completion of basic infantry training and an enlistment of 20 years is required for prospective members. Candidates undergo a strict selection process which is followed by training in: * Specialized infantry training * Completion of German commando course * Parachutist course including HALO/HAHO qualification * Rappelling/fast-roping * Mountain rescue *

SERE Sere or SERE may refer to: Military * Survive, Evade, Resist, Extract, a British military training program * Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape, an American military training program People * Sere (name) * Sere people, an ethnic group in ...

training * Close quarter fighting * Extraction via helicopter * Medical training The completion of the entire training circle may take up to two years.

Mission and deployments

Since their establishment Kampfretter personnel have been deployed as part of the NATO-led

Resolute Support Mission Resolute Support Mission (RSM) or Operation Resolute Support was a NATO-led multinational mission in Afghanistan. It began on 1 January 2015 as the successor to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), which was completed on 28 Decem ...

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

.{{Cite news, url=https://de.reuters.com/article/afghanistan-bundeswehr-kampfretter-idDEKCN18C1Q3, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170517032613/http://de.reuters.com/article/afghanistan-bundeswehr-kampfretter-idDEKCN18C1Q3, url-status=dead, archive-date=May 17, 2017, title=HINTERGRUND-Immer in Bereitschaft - Deutsche Kampfretter in Afghanistan, newspaper=Reuters, date=May 16, 2017, via=de.reuters.com Along with the German Army's KSK Kampfretter were among the first to respond to the 2016 bombing of the German consulate at Mazar-i-Sharif.

References

Special forces of Germany Airborne units and formations of Germany Units and formations of the German Army (1956–present) German Air Force Search and rescue

Selection and training

Mission and deployments

See also

References