GECONSFOR

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The task force GECONSFOR ( Ge rman Con quota S tabilization For ce ) was Germany's contribution to the NATO ; forces of the SFOR mission. The main task was to stabilize the still young peace in Bosnia-Herzegovina .

commitment

Typical SFOR patrol with a Luchs reconnaissance tank and a Fuchs transport tank
Headquarters of the GECONSFOR staff in the Rajlovac camp

On December 13, 1996, the German Bundestag approved by a large majority further participation in the NATO operation to militarily secure the peace process in the former Yugoslavia . The new mandate followed directly on from the IFOR mandate which expired on December 20, 1996 . On December 2, 2004, the SFOR mandate finally ended.

Of around 3,300 German soldiers, the army share with around 2,400 members of the Bundeswehr was stationed directly in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The descendant GECONIFOR stationed in Croatia was relocated to Germany by the end of February 1997. The locations on the Dalmatian coast were dissolved. The Air Force part was stationed in Italy and supported with transport aircraft from Germany. The naval part operated in the Adriatic .

The German army unit GECONSFOR (L) was stationed with mass on the northern edge of Sarajevo in the Rajlovac field camp . Other German army units were located in Mostar (MND-SE), in Ilidža (NATO headquarters SFOR / LANDCENT) and in Croatian Zagreb (Support Command SFOR).

Germany provided an army contingent for the NATO operation, consisting of:

  • the "Armored Operations Association" called the surveillance association of tank reconnaissance and infantry forces as part of a joint Franco-German task force
  • Pioneers
  • Army aviators
  • Reconnaissance troops , drone reconnaissance forces, forces for electronic reconnaissance
  • the sanitary components previously used within the framework of IFOR to a reduced extent
  • Staff, security, leadership support and logistics elements

There were also air force and naval contingents as well as personnel and command support forces for the international headquarters . Depending on the development of the situation, additional troops could be deployed to reinforce the own contingent (up to 300 soldiers).

Leading associations of the German army contingents of the SFOR successor mission Bosnia-Herzegovina

1st Army Contingent: July 1998 to December 1998

The change of contingent from the 5th GECONSFOR contingent from the original SFOR mandate ( Operation Joint Guard ) to the 1st contingent of the SFOR follow -up mandate ( Operation Joint Forge ) began on July 6, 1998 and was completed on July 20. A total of 2,200 soldiers were assigned to the 1st Army Contingent. The previous designation of National Commander in the area of ​​operation was changed to Commander of the German Army Contingent SFOR and National Commander in the Army Area of ​​Operation. Brigadier General Klaus Holländer, commander of the 36th Panzer Brigade , became the commander of the 1st contingent . He was directly subordinate to the Army Command in Koblenz. The command center of the Bundeswehr in turn implements the decisions of the Federal Minister of Defense and was therefore authorized to issue instructions to the Army Command.

2nd Army Contingent: December 1998 to April 1999

This is the 2nd successor contingent. The command command was held by the IV Corps in Potsdam . The staff of the German Army Contingent was provided by Military Area Command VII and the 13th Panzer Grenadier Division from Leipzig plus a staff and telecommunications company of the 70 Command Support Regiment from Leipzig.

The staff and the staff company of the German part of the Multinational Division South-East (MND SE) took over the Defense Area Command V with the 10th Panzer Division from Sigmaringen .

The German part of the German-French Group (DFGFA) of the Multinational Brigade Center within MND SE comprised the following associations:

  • Headquarters and headquarters company of the Jägerbrigade 37 from Frankenberg
  • Armored Task Force (GepEinsVbd)
    • Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion 13 from Gotha
    • Jägerbataillon 371 from Marienberg
    • Paratrooper battalion 373 from Doberlug-Kirchhain (primarily 4th / 373 as "replenishment" hunter troop for the 371)
  • Logistics battalion of Logistics Regiment 13 from Weißenfels
  • Medical emergency unit from the mixed hospital regiment 12 from Feldkirchen
  • Drone battery of Artillery Regiment 13 from Mühlhausen
  • Feldjägerkompanie of the Feldjäger Battalion 701 from Leipzig
  • NBC defense company of NBC Defense Battalion 805 from Prenzlau
  • Pioneer and field camp operating company of the Pioneer Brigade 70 from Gera
  • Mixed Army Aviation Squadron of Army Aviation Regiment 15 from Rheine
  • Telecommunication electronic reconnaissance company of the telecommunications regiment 320 from Frankenberg
  • also soldiers for reconnaissance from the command support brigade 900 from Rheinbach and the information from the operational information battalion 950 from Andernach .

3rd Army Contingent: April 1999 to August 1999

The command command had the 1st German-Dutch Corps in Münster . The staff of the German Army Contingent was carried out by the Defense Area Command III and the 7th Panzer Grenadier Division from Düsseldorf . In addition, the headquarters and telecommunication company of the command regiment 30 from Düsseldorf, the operational support association from the logistics regiment 7 from Unna and a medical emergency group from the medical brigade 1 from Leer .

The German part of the Multinational Division South-East (MND SE) from the Wehrbereichskommando V / 10th Panzer Division comprised:

  • a mixed Army Aviation Squadron from Army Aviation Regiment 15 from Rheine
  • a telecommunications electronic reconnaissance company of the telecommunications regiment electronic warfare 320 from Frankenberg
  • a drone battery of the 7th Artillery Regiment from Dülmen
  • as well as soldiers of the Command Support Brigade 900 from Rheinbach

The German part of the German-French Group (DFGFA) within MND SE comprised the following associations:

  • Headquarters and headquarters company from the 21st Panzer Brigade from Augustdorf
  • Feldjägerkompanie of the Feldjäger Battalion 730 from Hilden
  • Pioneer and field camp operating company and NBC defense company from Pioneer Brigade 30 from Hilden
  • Armored Task Force (GepEinsVbd)
    • Panzergrenadierbataillon 212 from Augustdorf
    • Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion 3 from Lüneburg
  • Operative information from the Operative Information Battalion 950 from Andernach.


June 1998 - December 1998 1st follow-up contingent SFOR Panzer Grenadier Battalion 391

January 1999 - June 1999 2nd subsequent contingent SFOR

July 1999 - December 1999 3rd subsequent contingent SFOR

January 2000 - June 2000 4th SFOR contingent

July 2000 - December 2000 5th follow-up contingent SFOR Panzergrenadierbataillon 391

Web links

Commons : SFOR  - collection of images, videos and audio files