The soldiers of the AFDRU disaster relief unit of the Austrian Armed Forces (Austrian Forces Disaster Relief Unit) trained 50 course participants at the Tritolwerk training ground near Wiener Neustadt in the first week of July for deployment following environmental or natural disasters. The last time this unit was deployed was after the earthquakes in Turkey in 2023 (-> AFDRU unit returned from deployment).
Joint training for effective collaboration
During the basic training course, professional and militia soldiers trained together with the volunteer fire department, the Samaritans, the mountain rescue service and other civilian emergency organizations. The joint training optimized the processes and skills required to work together efficiently and effectively in an emergency. Among other things, they practised rescuing and recovering people, locating and neutralizing NBC agents, treating the wounded and extinguishing fires. The course participants also practiced under extreme conditions such as lack of sleep or physical exertion. The intensive training is intended to prepare the participants for future missions as realistically and operationally as possible. Completion of the course is a prerequisite for international deployments in disaster areas. Continuous further training is also provided.
Numerous international assignments
The AFDRU was founded in 1990 (-> AFDRU celebrates its 25th anniversary) and has been involved in both direct and indirect operations since 1997. The unit is made up of volunteers from the active and militia ranks. In the event of an emergency, soldiers and military equipment are ready for international deployment within a few hours. There are six different teams within the AFDRU, each consisting of 60 to 85 people. The disaster relief unit has already been deployed in Iran and Turkey following earthquakes, for water treatment in Mozambique and Pakistan and in Sri Lanka following tsunamis. The command of the NBC Defense Center is responsible for setting up and forming the unit.
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