At the weekend, 136 recruits from Staff Battalion 6 in the Standschützen Kaserne (Innsbruck) and 145 recruits from Jäger Battalion 24 in the Haspinger Kaserne (Lienz) took their oath of allegiance to the Republic of Austria. The coronavirus made it necessary to hold the swearing-in ceremony at two locations, with increased distances and without inviting the public.
“Especially in these difficult times, we soldiers show that we are a reliable partner,” emphasized the deputy Tyrolean military commander, Colonel Gerhard Pfeifer, in his speech. “Public life is being shut down, the operational organizations are ramping up,” he said, preparing the young soldiers for upcoming missions to protect the population. “The armed forces are the basis for security,” said National Councillor Hermann Gahr in his speech. He also praised the Austrian Armed Forces for the variety of missions that demonstrate the necessity of the Austrian armed forces. “I pledge …” could be heard from behind 281 FFP2 masks. After this highlight, the Tyrolean military music, conducted by Colonel Professor Johannes Apfolterer, concluded the swearing-in ceremony with the Tyrolean national anthem
