Guard battalion at the Federal Ministry of Defense
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|---|---|
 internal association badge |
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| Lineup | Feb 15, 1957 |
| Country |
 Germany
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| Armed forces |
 armed forces
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| Organizational area |
Force Base
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| Branch of service |
 Hunter ( army )
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| Subordinate troops |
7 active companies , 2 inactive companies |
| Strength | 1033 soldiers |
| Insinuation |
 Territorial Tasks Command of the Bundeswehr
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| Location | Berlin |
| motto |
Semper talis (always the same) |
| march | Yorck March |
| equipment | K 98k carabiner |
| Awards |
 Flag ofNorth Rhine-Westphalia (2001) |
| Web presence | Website WachBtl BMVg |
| commander | |
| Battalion commander | Lieutenant Colonel Kai Beinke |
| insignia | |
| Beret badge |
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The guard battalion at the Federal Ministry of Defense ( WachBtl BMVg ; usually shortened to the guard battalion ) is the association of the German armed forces for protocol honorary service on state visits and other state events. In terms of equipment and structure, the guard battalion is originally an infantry unit. In this capacity, in the event of a defense , it is responsible for safeguarding the Ministry of Defense and the members and objects of the Federal Government (such as, for example, during the Cold War, the alternative seat of the federal constitutional organs ).
Although the term is not officially used for any association of the Bundeswehr, the guard battalion is regularly referred to as the "(German) Guard " due to its areas of responsibility that are unique in the German armed forces and the resulting focus on formal training in the media and by relatives .
history
After the Federal Border Guard had originally performed the task of protocol honorary service for the Federal Government, the Guard Battalion was one of the first units of the Bundeswehr to be set up in Rheinbach on February 15, 1957 and took over the military representation of the Federal Republic of Germany. It initially consisted of a staff and supply company , two security companies, a military police company and the teaching corps and music belonged exclusively to the army. The cadre of the two guard companies was formed from the NCO training company, which had carried out protocol missions since 1956 and consisted of former members of the Federal Border Guard. The Feldjägerkompanie was handed over to the Feldjägerbataillon BMVg as early as 1958 . On February 11, 1959, the battalion was moved to the Brückberg barracks in Siegburg . The training music corps, renamed the Bundeswehr Staff Music Corps on June 1, 1959 , was also spun off. On January 4, 1960, the remaining companies were numbered consecutively, the designations 1st and 2nd guard company were given up. In January 1961, conscripts were accepted into the guard battalion for the first time. The 4th Company was set up on July 1, 1961.
Since August 1959, protocol missions with the participation of all branches of the armed forces have taken place. The air force company came from the Cologne-Wahn air base , the naval company was provided by the Naval NCO School in Plön . In order to reduce the organizational difficulties, the air force company was also moved to the Brückberg barracks at the end of 1959 and later incorporated into the guard battalion as the 5th company. It was not until June 28, 1973 that the 9th inspection of the Naval Coast Service School was moved from Neustadt an der Ostsee to Siegburg and incorporated into the guard battalion as the 4th company. The previous 4th Company was renamed the 3rd Company, the previous 3rd Company was dissolved.
On May 13, 1961, the Guard Battalion took over the tradition of the First Foot Guards Regiment and the 9th Infantry Regiment . In January 1963, the "Guard Battalion" cuff was awarded. The Guard Training Company 708, established in November 1962, began training army soldiers for the Guard Battalion in April 1963. In May 1965, Federal President Heinrich Lübke awarded the battalion the first army flag . On December 1, 1974, the subordination of the guard battalion changed from Defense Area III to the Security and Supply Regiment at the Federal Ministry of Defense . On October 1, 1989, the 6th company was set up in the Brückberg barracks.
After German reunification in 1990, protocol missions in Berlin began to increase rapidly. On April 1, 1995, the 2nd company of the guard battalion and guard training company 902 (until 1982 guard training company 708), which had last carried out the basic training of army and marines for the guard battalion, moved from Bergisch Gladbach to the Julius Leber barracks in Berlin relocated. The training company became a regular protocol and security company and was incorporated into the guard battalion as the 7th company.
As early as March 1991, the 3rd company had been relocated from the Hermann Löns barracks in Bergisch Gladbach to the Brückberg barracks in Siegburg. The relocation of parts of the Federal Government and the Federal President to Berlin in the summer of 1999 finally required the relocation of most of the Guard Battalion to Berlin. The field replacement company , which was inactive during peacetime , was given up. On July 1, 2008, the 8th Company was renamed the 9th Company and a new Air Force protocol and security company was set up as the 8th Company.
On April 26, 2014, the guard battalion finally said goodbye to Siegburg after 55 years in the Brückberg barracks with a big tattoo . At the end of September 2014 the last company was moved from Siegburg to Berlin.
assignment
The work and operations of the guard battalion are based on international protocol . The musical accompaniment necessary for performing the military ceremonies is usually provided by the staff music corps of the Bundeswehr or the music corps of the Bundeswehr .
Because of these high-profile representative tasks and the resulting media presence, the guard battalion is one of the best-known units of the Bundeswehr.
The annual solemn pledge of the recruits on July 20 , in memory of the assassination attempt on July 20, 1944 , which has been taking place in the Bendler Block since 1999 (rarely also on the Platz der Republik in front of the Reichstag building ), is an essential part of the Bundeswehr's understanding of tradition in the General and the Guard Battalion in particular.
The task of (military) security by the federal government plays a subordinate role in the daily work of the guard battalion due to the low level of threat in Germany; the protocol tasks and training have priority. The infantry training, however, takes up a considerable part of the service time; In addition, members of the guard battalion take part in missions abroad as part of their mission as a general part of the armed forces base . However, this is - unlike most troop-contributing units - limited to individual deployments up to sub-unit level.
For a long time no women served in the protocol companies of the Guard Battalion. This was primarily for a medical reason, as certain drill grips for women carry health risks (for example, hitting the rifle against the chest). In addition, emphasis was placed on showing the military representation of Germany, especially through conscripts (who could not be women), as a reflection of society. The exception to this was the headquarters company , in which female soldiers also served. On March 10, 2011, a female soldier served for the first time in a protocol mission. At the big tattoo to say goodbye to Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg , a female staff sergeant marched in as a torchbearer for the first time and took one of the positions next to the podium of the person to be honored.
Details on the processes of the German military protocol can be found under military honors or the forwarding specified there.
organization
With a total of seven active (as well as two inactive) companies and more than 1,000 members, the guard battalion is one of the largest battalions in the Bundeswehr. It has almost regimental strength and is stationed in the Julius-Leber-Kaserne in Berlin-Wedding . Since 2001 it has been subordinate to the organizational area of the armed forces base , after it was previously part of the army. It consists of soldiers who wear the uniforms of all three branches of the armed forces - army , navy and air force - and who were partially transferred to the guard battalion by these branches.
The seven active companies include a supply company , four protocol companies (two of which belong to the army and one each to the air force and navy) and two backup companies as supplementary troops . The two inactive companies are also backup companies. Although the soldiers are assigned according to their company of the armed force, but are also equipped with the protocol uniforms the other armed forces at the position of honor formations to be more flexible.
| company | Company type | Assignment | stationed in |
|---|---|---|---|
 1./WachBtl BMVg
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Headquarters and supply company | army | Berlin |
| 2./WachBtl BMVg | Protocol company | army | Berlin |
| 3./WachBtl BMVg | Protocol company | army | Berlin |
| 4./WachBtl BMVg | Protocol company | marine | Berlin |
 5./WachBtl BMVg
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Protocol company | air force | Berlin |
| 6./WachBtl BMVg | Security company | army | Berlin |
| 7./WachBtl BMVg | Training company | army | Berlin |
| 8./WachBtl BMVg ( ErgTrT ) | Security company | army | Berlin |
| 9./WachBtl BMVg (ErgTrT) | Security company | army | Berlin |
Recruitment and training
The guard battalion is known for its demanding training as well as its strict military discipline and high level of corps spirit . The process of great tattoos , vows , receptions with military honors and other protocol rituals and ceremonies is practiced intensively. Only soldiers who are 175 to 200 centimeters tall are admitted to protocol honorary service in the guard battalion. Members of the guard battalion receive special training in marching in formations and in handling the carbine . All protocol soldiers participate in protocol honorary service after having passed the protocol acceptance test, in which the soldiers show their protocol skills. In addition to the protocol training, the soldiers receive infantry training. Following the dissolution of Security Battalion 12, the Guard Battalion is now the only security battalion in the Army that is qualified to protect facilities. The lowest rank of the crew is a marksman or a sailor. The guard battalion thus follows on from previously existing troops.
equipment
Armament
The armament of the guard battalion corresponds to that of an infantry battalion of the Bundeswehr. In contrast to representative units in many other countries, the guard battalion does not use the assault rifle introduced in each case for ceremonial occasions , but rather the Kar98k (Karabiner 98 for short) . These can no longer be fired. However, blank cartridges can still be used for demonstrations by the so-called drill team . It was not until 1995 that the proving mark with swastika that was still in place on the carbines dating from before 1945 was removed after the SPD criticized this in the Bundestag . On its behalf to secure the ministry and the federal government , the guard battalion uses the usual infantry armament of the Bundeswehr.
Since 2006, the guard battalion has been subordinate to a field howitzer battery with ten field howitzers M101 caliber 105 mm. This has the task of firing gun salutes in honor of high-ranking dignitaries in accordance with diplomatic protocol . The order for gun salutes was previously incumbent on the 545 field artillery battalion in Niederlahnstein , from which the field howitzers were also taken over.
uniform
The battalion's uniforms essentially correspond to those of the armed forces. As a rule, the recruits are also equipped with uniforms from all three branches of the armed forces. As a special feature, the soldiers in the Army and Air Force version wear a cuff with the inscription Wachbataillon . A corresponding armband with the name of their association wear in the army otherwise only the members of the panzerlehrbrigade 9 , the Army Officers' Academy and the NCO School of the Army . For the Air Force Uniform (field and service dress) and for naval uniform (only battle dress) soldiers wear a boat , but a blue beret similar to the object Schutzstaffeln the Air Force and Naval Protection Force . As part of the infantry troops , the beret for those wearing army uniforms is green. The beret badge of all army, naval and air force companies (meanwhile) shows the Gothic W for guard battalion in oak leaves. In the past, the soldiers of the naval and air force companies wore those of the respective security troops of their armed forces. The crews wear a flat cap with a white cover and a cap ribbon with a gold signature in the Wachbataillon with the navy uniform .
Guard battalion cuff
Beret badge
internal association badge (field suit)
Association badge (Army service suit)
The internal association badge - worn on the service or field suit in the Army or Air Force version and on the field suit in the marine version - shows a corresponding fracture - W on a silver background. The actual association badge, which has been worn on the military service suit on the left sleeve since the guard battalion was placed under the command of the Territorial Tasks of the Federal Armed Forces, shows the German coat of arms with federal eagle in the small coat of arms according to the former subordination to the security and supply regiment at the Federal Ministry of Defense (SichVersRgtBMVg) on a golden background on a black-red-gold main coat of arms . The coat of arms is outlined in the penultimate level with a silver cord and woven black thread and in the last level in white and thus stands out from the badges of the soldiers in the higher military departments in the area of the ministry (cf. the headquarters of the armed forces ), whose badges are gold is corded.
Special features of the guard battalion
The unique task of the guard battalion is reflected in a multitude of special rules and regulations, some of which differ considerably from those of the rest of the Bundeswehr:
- The guard battalion uses white belts as well as white gloves and untaced black boots with iron fittings on the heels (Knobelbecher) for the missions in the protocol honorary service .
- The guard battalion has special lightweight plastic helmets that take protocol operations into account and make it easier to wear the helmet for a long time.
- In the navy uniform, the guard battalion does without the rank badges of the crews (diagonal stripes on the upper sleeve of the uniform jacket).
- The guard battalion is the only association of the Bundeswehr to drill the rifle grips of the old Prussian drill regulations , the main features of which date back to the time of Frederick II of Prussia and were generally used in the German armed forces until 1945. The reason for this is the higher display and representational value of these regulations, which corresponds to the protocol mandate of the battalion.
- The guard battalion has had its own central service instructions in two volumes since 1996: The Semper Talis, an acronym for "Standard operations with protocol recommendations and guidelines" (Volume 1) and "Tabular representation of processes and lists" (Volume 2). Since 2005 the GARDE service instruction has been called "Principles of training and guidelines for the implementation of operations".
- In accordance with the customs of the Diplomatic Protocol , soldiers of the Guard Battalion are not allowed to wear glasses or beards in the protocol service.
- The soldiers must have a physical guard .
Tradition and origin
The guard battalion traces its tradition through the 9th (Prussian) Infantry Regiment of the Reichswehr and the 1st Guard Regiment on foot of the Prussian army to the year 1675 ( Lange Kerls ) and is thus the only association with an official tradition ( see traditional decree ) from the time before the establishment of the Bundeswehr. His battle cry is based on the 1st Guards Regiment on foot “Semper Talis” ( Latin : “Always the same” or “Always excellent”). The 1st battalion of this regiment carried the slogan in the helmet decoration council. By continuing this tradition, the guard battalion is connected to the Semper talis Bund (StB), the House of Hohenzollern and the von Rohdich'schen Legatenfonds .
literature
- Markus Euskirchen: Military rituals. Analysis and criticism of an instrument of rule. (= PapyRossa-Hochschulschriften. Vol. 59). PapyRossa-Verlag, Cologne 2005, ISBN 3-89438-329-1 , p. 90 ff. (At the same time: Berlin, Freie Univ., Diss., 2004).
- Gerhard Kümmel : In action far away from the army ?. Military service and military socialization in the guard battalion BMVg . In the S. (Ed.): Armed forces under pressure to adapt. Security and military policy challenges in Germany in the present and future (= military and social sciences . Vol. 43). Nomos, Baden-Baden 2009, ISBN 978-3-8329-4973-0 , pp. 107-126.
- Thorsten Loch (ed.): The guard battalion at the Federal Ministry of Defense (1957–2007). History - mission - tradition. Mittler, Hamburg 2007, ISBN 978-3-8132-0889-4 .
- Guard battalion at the BMVg (Ed.): 55 years of the guard battalion BMVg. 2012.
See also
- Formation of honor
- Guard regiments of the GDR
- Garden of other states
Web links
- The guard battalion at the Federal Ministry of Defense
- The homepage of the Semper-Talis-Bund
- von Rohdisch'scher Legatenfonds
Individual evidence
- ↑ BMVg.de: The guard battalion - honor guard of the Bundeswehr
- ↑ Berliner Zeitung: The real captain wears a ponytail (August 2014)
- ↑ Berliner Morgenpost: Berliner is the first female soldier in the "Guard" (September 2011)
- ↑ Guard battalion says goodbye to Siegburg
- ↑ easy to see in this video
- ↑ The Guard Battalion - honor guard of the Bundeswehr
- ^ Semper Talis Bund eV In: semper-talis-bund.de. Semper talis Bund eV, accessed on May 19, 2020 .
- ↑ Swastikas presented . In: Der Spiegel . No. 38 , 1995, p. 16 ( online - 18 September 1995 ).
Coordinates: 52 ° 33 ′ 24 ″ N , 13 ° 19 ′ 10 ″ E