The spa gardens in Bad Hall provided the festive setting for the swearing-in ceremony of the 353 recruits of the 4th Armored Brigade, who joined the barracks in Upper Austria at the beginning of May.
Mayor Bernhard Ruf welcomed the numerous guests of honor and family members as well as friends of the young soldiers. He expressed his appreciation to the young soldiers for having found their way into the armed forces and wished them understanding superiors, interesting training and good camaraderie for the duration of their basic military service. “The Austrian Armed Forces are more necessary than ever due to the Austrian population’s natural and understandable need for protection, which has increased significantly in the last year, and are therefore more accepted and valued today than they have been for a long time,” emphasized Brigadier Christian Riener, brigade commander and superior of all the enlisted soldiers.
Thomas Stelzer, Deputy Governor of Upper Austria, described the Austrian Armed Forces alongside the executive and blue light organizations as the most important part of the state for maintaining domestic security. After a resounding “I pledge” and the Upper Austrian national anthem, the soldiers marched out of the Kurpark, handed in their weapons and met up with their families in the weapons and equipment display area.
A report by the Military Command of Upper Austria, pictures: Armed Forces/Simader
