On February 24, Defence Minister Klaudia Tanner visited the soldiers on security police and health authority assistance missions in Burgenland. At the Klingenbach border crossing, Tanner received a briefing on the activities of the soldiers on deployment.
“The health and safety of our population is our most precious asset. The soldiers make a significant contribution to this with their deployment – in all weathers, day and night. Last year, our soldiers were able to carry out over eight million identity checks in Burgenland together with the police forces. They check the health entry regulations in accordance with the Covid-19 Ordinance, assist with mass testing, carry out contact tracing and support the security authorities in the fight against illegal migration,” said Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner. Tanner was then briefed on the operation and the equipment used, such as Husar (armored combat vehicle with thermal imaging systems), Beagle (radar system for surveillance) and various thermal imaging and observation devices, in the nearby “Siegendorfer Puszta”. The event concluded with a dynamic demonstration of an “apprehension”, in which the effect of the optical and electronic surveillance equipment used at the border could be seen.
“Almost 15 percent of the soldiers in the assistance missions throughout Austria contribute to maintaining the operational readiness of the Austrian Armed Forces with their ‘Service for Austria’. This means that conscripts can be trained for the full six months in core military tasks,” continued Defense Minister Tanner. There are currently 542 soldiers deployed at the Burgenland border. 31 percent of them are basic military service personnel, 28 percent have voluntarily committed themselves for three months longer as part of “Service for Austria”, 21 percent are militia soldiers and 20 percent are professional soldiers. To support the security and health authorities, around 3,200 soldiers are on duty every day in all federal states. Since the beginning of 2021, soldiers who have opted for the “Service for Austria” model have also been deployed; there are currently 425 across Austria. In the new model, basic military service personnel can choose several options on a voluntary basis during their training. At the end of their basic military service, they can volunteer for a three-month deployment. Other options include the militia bonus and militia cadre training during their military service. This means that during the six months of basic military service, the focus can be placed on military training, i.e. the core competence of the armed forces.
