Last week, 24 new candidates for officer and non-commissioned officer training joined Jäger Battalion 23 in Bludesch. In addition to the 21 men from four federal states, three women also started their training. Most of the soldiers come from Tyrol, some from Vorarlberg and one each from Vienna and Styria.
The first phase of cadre candidate training is completed jointly by all those who wish to become an officer or non-commissioned officer and lasts five months. The main focus is on teaching the basics of “being a soldier”. However, participants are also introduced to the role of commander by being assigned simple leadership tasks. The first week is dominated by the fitting of clothing and equipment and the topics of drill duty, physical training and weapons and shooting duty. The young soldiers are usually on duty from 6.00 am until 10.00 pm. Above all, the strict requirements for sports training and the ongoing fitness checks are very physically demanding for the soldiers.
High demands are placed on the future professional soldiers in terms of performance, knowledge, skill and stamina – they are trained by the best instructors in the battalion. The commander of the 1st company of Jäger Battalion 23, Lieutenant Tomas W., clarifies: “In contrast to the training of basic military service personnel, a stricter standard is applied from the outset in the training of cadre candidates, as only the best can be accepted into the professional cadre of the armed forces after 18 months as a sergeant.”
