On Monday, soldiers from the Austrian Armed Forces were trained at the Korneuburg NBC Defense Center. Austrian Armed Forces for their decontamination mission in Slovakia in March 2025 were honored with service medals. Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner also presented the EU certificates to the teams of the Austrian Forces Disaster Relief Unit (AFDRU), which are now an integral part of the European response to international disasters.
“The determination and professionalism of our soldiers show that the Austrian Armed Forces are not only courageous defenders of our country, but that we are also ready for humanitarian missions at any time. The rapid operational readiness shows the commitment of all those who are often quickly on site to help, even under dangerous conditions,” said Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner. “With these certifications, Austria is contributing to European security policy in a spirit of solidarity.”
“With the completed certifications, our AFDRU troops are ready for international and national disaster operations. Deployments that prepare us in the best possible way for national military defense and it is a great signal of solidarity within the European family,” says Colonel Jürgen Schlechter, Commander of the NBC Defense Center.
During the operation, the soldiers decontaminated over 6,100 large vehicles to prevent the spread of an epidemic in Slovakia and its spread to Austria. A total of 53 people and 18 vehicles were involved. This operation was the first within the framework of the European Civil Protection Mechanism. This also includes the modules “Forest Fire Fighting”, “Water Treatment” and “Rescue and Recovery from Contaminated Areas”, for which certification certificates were also presented.
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The AFDRU contingent worked together with the Samariterbund during the “water treatment” certification exercise. This cooperation highlighted the importance of collaboration between the organizations and brought concrete benefits to both sides.
The certification exercises marked the end of the registration process in the European civil protection pool. This means that the Austrian disaster relief unit is now an integral part of the European disaster response. By applying the “dual-use” principle, i.e. the use of military skills for disaster relief in peacetime, Austria is contributing to European security policy in a spirit of solidarity. The experience gained from the exercises also flows into national military defense.
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