A few days ago, around 180 Guard recruits took their oath of allegiance to the Republic of Austria at the swearing-in ceremony in the Kurpark Oberlaa. Over the next few months, the inductees will take on operational and representative duties as Guard soldiers.
Prior to the ceremony, the Military Music of Lower Austria played well-known pieces of music at a concert and impressed with spectacular show interludes. During the ceremony, the “Military of the Year 2024” award was also presented to recruit Florian Varilek in the “Serviceman of the Year – Vienna” category. Varilek received the award for his achievements at the Optronics and Physical Measurement Technology Department of the Office of Armaments and Defense Technology. The military commander of Vienna, Brigadier General Kurt Wagner, and the deputy head of the 10th district of Vienna, Gerhard Blöschl, were delighted to welcome numerous guests of honour, as well as well-known personalities from politics, the military, the police and other Viennese emergency organizations.
“Where others cannot, not yet or no longer can”
During his speech, the military commander of Vienna, Brigadier Kurt Wagner, emphasized the main task of the Austrian Armed Forcesmilitary national defence, and emphasized that only the planned ongoing increase in the budget would enable the gradual and significant improvement of the core capabilities of the Austrian Armed Forces. “We have now successfully launched this with ‘Mission Forward’ and the ‘Reconstruction Plan 2032+’. Incidentally, all other capabilities of the Austrian Armed Forces arise from these core capabilities necessary for national defense, so that we can be deployed as the strategic reserve of the Republic of Austria wherever others cannot, cannot yet or can no longer do so,” said the military commander, before concluding by wishing the new recruits all the best and every success for their future activities. https://militaeraktuell.at/open-source-software-odin-von-syncpoint/
Revival of comprehensive national defense
In his speech, Marcus Schober, Member of the Vienna State Parliament and local councillor, focused on the necessity of comprehensive national defense and thanked the recruits for their service to the Republic. “Only with a strong Armed Forces can Austria’s position on the international stage be consolidated and an active policy of neutrality pursued. In my opinion, the revival of comprehensive national defense was an important step and must be continued,” said Marcus Schober. A delegation of recruits then approached the insignia to recite the pledge of allegiance with their comrades. In front of the numerous guests of honor and their families, they pledged to protect the Republic of Austria and its people.
