The historic Enns town square was today the venue for the ceremonial swearing-in of 127 soldiers, including 9 women from the Army NCO Academy and the 4th Armored Infantry Brigade.
After the front line had been walked, the federal flag was raised together with young people from the fire department and Red Cross. “While the attractiveness of basic military service was already an important concern of political and military decision-makers before and remains so, the increased demand for cadre personnel due to the intensified order situation for the Armed Forces from summer 2015 has brought cadre candidate training and, above all, the high demand for trainee soldiers very much into focus,” emphasized the Commander of the Army NCO Academy, Brigadier Nikolaus Egger. He went on to explain: “Today, members of both groups of people, both basic servicemen and women of Armored Staff Battalion 4 and candidates for a cadre function who joined in March and have not yet been sworn in, are standing here before us together and taking their oath of allegiance to the Republic of Austria. All these young soldiers here are extremely important for the fulfillment of the mission of the Austrian Armed Forces and therefore deserve the best possible conditions for their training.”
Before the Governor’s speech, the Upper Austrian military band played “Dr. Joe’s March”, composed by the then military bandmaster Franz Bauer for Pühringer’s 50th birthday.
“Yes, we need this army and therefore I thank the recruits for their service,” Josef Pühringer encouraged the recruits at his last swearing-in ceremony as Governor. “Finally, allow me to say a big and heartfelt thank you to the Austrian Armed Forces for their excellent cooperation, not only in the event of a disaster, but throughout the entire time that I have been governor.”
At the highlight of the ceremony, the pledge of allegiance, the recruits
– Gabriel Hinteramskogler from Kleinraming
– Alexander Prosch from Wörgl and
– Manuel Hofer from Graz
laid their hands on the standard of the Army NCO Academy on behalf of all of them.
“I pledge” resounded loudly from the foot of the town tower from 127 throats across the Enns town square. Numerous visitors took advantage of the information and equipment show to get to know the equipment of the “Dingo 2” all-protection vehicle and find out about the possibilities of a career in the armed forces.
Text: Military Command Upper Austria, Pictures: Austrian Armed Forces/Simader
