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.

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 The Warsaw Pact (WP) or Treaty of Warsaw, formally the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance, was a collective defense treaty signed in Warsaw, Poland, between the Soviet Union and seven other Eastern Bloc socialist republi ...

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 Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (german: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes), or simply the Knight's Cross (), and its variants, were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. The Knight' ...

. 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 Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the ...

, 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 The Black Forest (german: Schwarzwald ) is a large forested mountain range in the state of Baden-Württemberg in southwest Germany, bounded by the Rhine Valley to the west and south and close to the borders with France and Switzerland. It is ...

") was drawn on to provide the headquarters for the German Army's new special forces unit, the

Kommando Spezialkräfte The Kommando Spezialkräfte (''Special Forces Command, KSK'') is the special forces military command of the German Army. The KSK has received decorations and awards from NATO, the United States, and its affiliates. KSK operatives have taken par ...

. The first overseas deployment of this division took place in 1961 when its troops rendered humanitarian assistance to

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria ...

after a devastating earthquake. From there on 1st Airborne Division or its successors deployed troops to

Somalia Somalia, , Osmanya script: 𐒈𐒝𐒑𐒛𐒐𐒘𐒕𐒖; ar, الصومال, aṣ-Ṣūmāl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constitut ...

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

Bosnia Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...

Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Eur ...

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 bord ...

and

Congo Congo or The Congo may refer to either of two countries that border the Congo River in central Africa: * Democratic Republic of the Congo, the larger country to the southeast, capital Kinshasa, formerly known as Zaire, sometimes referred to a ...

. 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 The Royal Netherlands Army ( nl, Koninklijke Landmacht) is the land branch of the Netherlands Armed Forces. Though the Royal Netherlands Army was raised on 9 January 1814, its origins date back to 1572, when the was raised – making the Dut ...

joined the division. The Dutch forces will remain stationed in the Netherlands but will cooperate in training and exercises of their German counterparts.

Structure

Organizational chart of the Division Schnelle Kräfte (Bundeswehr)

Rapid Forces Division (Division Schnelle Kräfte), in Stadtallendorf ** StKp DivSpOp

Staff and Signal Company, Rapid Forces Division, in Stadtallendorf ** Luftlandebrigade 1 (Bundeswehr)

1st Airborne Brigade (Luftlandebrigade 1), in

Saarlouis Saarlouis (; french: link=no, Sarrelouis, ; formerly Sarre-Libre and Saarlautern) is a town in Saarland, Germany, capital of the district of Saarlouis. In 2020, the town had a population of 34,409. Saarlouis, as the name implies, is located on t ...

11th Airmobile Brigade (11 Luchtmobiele Brigade), in Schaarsbergen ** Kommando Spezialkräfte (Bundeswehr)

Special Forces Command (Kommando Spezialkräfte) (KSK), in Calw ** Wappen des Kommando Hubschrauber

Helicopter Command (Kommando Hubschrauber), in

Bückeburg Bückeburg ( Northern Low Saxon: ''Bückeborg'') is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, on the border with North Rhine Westphalia. It is located in the district of Schaumburg close to the northern slopes of the Weserbergland ridge. Population: 21 ...

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10th Transport Helicopter Regiment (Transporthubschrauberregiment 10), in Faßberg *** THRgt 30

30th Transport Helicopter Regiment (Transporthubschrauberregiment 30), in

Niederstetten Niederstetten () is a town and a municipality in the Main-Tauber district, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated 14 km southeast of Bad Mergentheim, and 19 km west of Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Sights The main attraction is t ...

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36th Attack Helicopter Regiment (Kampfhubschrauberregiment 36), at Fritzlar Air Base *** Heeresfliegerwaffenschule (Bundeswehr)

International Helicopter Training Centre (Internationales Hubschrauberausbildungszentrum), in

Geographic Distribution

References

External links

Official Website of the Division Schnelle Kräfte
{{Authority control Airborne divisions of Germany Divisions of the Bundeswehr 2001 establishments in Germany German involvement in the Syrian civil war Military units and formations established in 1956 Military units and formations disestablished in 1994 Military units and formations established in 1994 Military units and formations disestablished in 2001 Military units and formations established in 2001 Special forces of Germany