Branch of service

A branch of service or type of weapon (including in the armed forces , the NVA and the Austrian Federal Army ) is the totality of all military forces within an armed force , armed force or military organization area have comparable skills, equipment and training and jobs.

The functional division of modern armies with reference to the type of service has largely superseded the classification according to the type of weapon , although in German-speaking countries, especially in the Austrian Armed Forces , the designation weapon type is still sometimes preferred, but is mostly meant completely synonymously . Actually, the branch of service groups troops in terms of their armament and equipment.

A military group is the combination of several military branches, e.g. B. to combat troops or combat support troops . The division of a modern army according to functional aspects does not correspond to the actual subordinate relationship . The formations and units, which are predominantly composed of one type of troop, are given similar names based on this: formations of the armored troops, for example, as a tank battalion, tank brigade, tank regiment, etc.

armed forces

→ Main article : Current division of the army into branches of service  and branches of the armed forces

Former beret badge of the formerly independent tank reconnaissance force of the Bundeswehr

Under branches of service refers to the German Army and partly in the Joint Support the division into the same according to their abilities and their equipment various units and formations.

In the army, the division of the armies and armies associations is carried out by the inspector of the army . With the command letter from the inspector of the army dated October 17, 2005, the army's branches of service were reorganized for the last time. Each type of service or group of units is assigned a general of the corresponding type of service, e.g. B. General of the NBC defense force . He is responsible for the training and further development of a military type and one of the schools of the army or centers of the army is assigned to this.

With the transfer of some army forces to the armed forces base, u. a. entire branches of the armed forces, the armed forces base for these former army troops (army uniform wearers) has also taken over the division according to military types. The same applies to the central medical service , but the former army troops in this area are almost exclusively members of the medical service . All army uniform wearers are externally recognizable by a combination of weapon color (cf. weapon type), beret color , beret badge and, if applicable , the badge of activity .

In the history of the Bundeswehr , the branches of service have often been renamed, reclassified, renamed, newly created or even completely dissolved. In addition to the official division of the troop type, there are often unofficial troop types based on the classification of the former troop types, which group forces according to their function. Examples are tank scouts or long-distance scouts , which officially no longer represent a separate service category.

In the Air Force and the Navy, there are no branches of service, but service areas (e.g. aviation service) or application series (e.g. application series 76, naval security service ), which, however, are also classified according to functional aspects.

Austrian Armed Forces

→ Main article : Federal Armed Forces: breakdown by weapon type

In Austria, a strict distinction is made between branches of service and branches of arms. Military branches summarize those branches of service that belong together functionally (combat troops, combat support troops, operational support troops and command support troops). Weapons are classified according to their characteristics and their main equipment (e.g. NBC defense, artillery, reconnaissance, hunters, military police, pioneers, etc.).

Swiss Army

→ Main article : Current division according to military types

According to Art. 7 of the Ordinance of the Federal Assembly on the Organization of the Armed Forces are “elements of the armed forces for whose training recruit schools are held. There are no recruiting schools for the service branches ”.

Military branches / branches of service in the Anglo-American language area

In many Anglo-American armed forces, the branches of the individual armed forces are called branches (of service) or branch .

In the United Kingdom, the term Corps of ... is used for this. So z. B. in the British Army the Royal Artillery , the Royal Engineers or the Royal Signs .

Military branches of the NVA

Weapon class (in the sense of military class ) was the collective name for troops or forces of the armed forces (TSK) of the National People's Army of the GDR , as well as the armed forces of the former Warsaw Pact states with their own typical armament and equipment for carrying out or participating in combat or Acts of combat. The branches of service were the main component of the TSK concerned and were divided into formations , units and units . The special troops, forces and services of all TSK were entrusted with their support and security . The following classification applied.

Ministry of National Defense (MfNV)
	Land Forces (LaSK)		Air Force (LSK)		People's Navy (VM)
	Military branches Mot. Rifle troops Armored troops Missile troops and artillery Air defense Airborne troops Army air forces		Military branches Anti-aircraft missile troops Aviation forces Radio troops		Military branches Coastal Missile Forces Naval Aviation Forces Surface forces
	Special troops and services Reconnaissance troops Pioneer troop News force Troops and units radio electronic combat Chemical Defense Troops Technical troops Rear services		Special troops and services Troops for aeronautical and aerodrome security Intelligence and air traffic control force Units of radio electronic combat Rear services		Special troops and services Radio troops News force Units of radio electronic combat Rear services Maritime Hydrographic Service

See also

→ Main article : Combat support troops # Special troops NVA

Arms of the Wehrmacht

See also : Wehrmacht

With the order of the High Command of the Wehrmacht on October 14, 1942, the following division of weapons was applied to the field army :

Military branches field army 1942
	Fencing troop		Supply troops		Security troops
	artillery Railway service troops Railroad troop Secret field police Fortress tribal troops Front reconnaissance force infantry Map and survey troops Command authorities News force Fog troop , also throwing troop Armored force Pioneers Propaganda force Technical troops		Military troops Motor park troops Supply troops Order troops, the field post Medical troops Administrative troops Veterinary troops Water supply troops		15 security divisions of the army five security brigades of the army

Historical military branches

In most modern armies, the following historical troop types are no longer known. Exceptions are, for example, railway pioneers (Italy) . Many generic terms such as infantry or artillery are still quite common. In addition, the classification is "mixed", both according to branches of service and branches of service.

Ancient and Middle Ages

See also : Antiquity  and the Middle Ages

• infantry
  • infantry
    • Swordsmen (from the 15th century also Rondarschiere or Tartscheniere)
    • Lance fighters (from the 14th century also land servants, philistines, cronies, philistines or rascals )
  • Protect
    • (Stone) slingers
    • Archers
    • Crossbowmen
    • Hookers (from 15th century)
• cavalry

Modern times

See also : modern times

• cavalry
  • Cuirassiers / hard sheers
  • Uhlans
  • Chevauleger
  • Hussars
  • Djigites
  • Cossacks
  • Arquebus rider
  • dragoon
  • Hunters on horseback
• infantry
  • Pikemen
  • Arquebusiers
  • Musketeers
  • Grenadiers
  • Voltigeurs
  • Fusiliers
  • Protect
  • Hunter
• artillery
  • Field artillery
    • Mounted artillery
    • Moving artillery
    • horse-drawn foot artillery
  • Fortress artillery and siege artillery
  • Rocket artillery
• Pioneers
  • Miners
  • Sappers
  • Pontooner
  • Railway pioneers
• Train (material transport by horse, Switzerland)

See also

• Use series in the German Navy

Web links

Wiktionary: Military genre  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Wiktionary: Type of weapon  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Footnotes

1. ↑ Bundessprachenamt , mil. Study glossary en.TA-K, p. 266.
2. ↑ Military Lexicon , 2nd ed. 1973, L-No .: 5, ES-No .: 6C1, BstNr: 745.303.1, page 346 “Special troops”, page 401 “Type of weapon”.