On April 26th – following the successful completion of the “Kopal24” exercise – a change of commander took place at the Jägerbataillon Niederösterreich. The ceremony took place in the time-honored Burstyn barracks in Zwölfaxing (once home to Panzerbataillon 33, which was disbanded in 2015) and was honored by the presence of Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner and Chief of Staff Rudolf Striedinger.
April 26 not only marked the end of the “Kopal24” object protection exercise (Militär Aktuell will report on this in detail in the June issue), but was also the end of an era. After eight years at the head of his men, Colonel Hermann Bracher handed over command of the Jägerbataillon Niederösterreich. The unit with the name “Kopal” is a militia unit and is largely made up of soldiers from the former Jäger Battalions 10 and 11. Colonel Bracher was succeeded by his former deputy, Lieutenant Colonel Franz Öllerer. The Jägerbataillon Niederösterreich is divided into the command, the staff company and three Jäger companies.
The Lower Austrian military band under the direction of military bandmaster Adolf Obendrauf provided the musical accompaniment to the ceremony, which was enhanced by the presence of high military and civilian dignitaries – including Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner, Chief of the General Staff Rudolf Striedinger, the Chief of Staff of the Lower Austrian Military Command and Deputy Military Commander, Colonel Michael Lippert, and President of the Provincial Parliament Karl Wilfing, to name but a few.
At the ceremony on the parade ground of the barracks, which is named after the Austrian tank pioneer Gunther Burstyn, the state flag was only flown at half-mast – the reason for this act of mourning was the death of former Defense Minister (1987 to 1990) Robert Lichal. the death of the former Minister of Defense (1987 to 1990) Robert Lichalwho enshrined the militia in the constitution for the first time.
In their speeches, both the outgoing and the new commander of the Jägerbataillon Niederösterreich referred to the difficult situation of the militia in recent years and expressed their joy and confidence that the Federal Army due to the new security challenges (Russian invasion of Ukraineconflict in the Middle East, terrorist threat scenarios at home, …) the armed forces are now being upgraded and better equipped. For example, the Lower Austria Jäger Battalion is also to receive heavy weapons in the foreseeable future, which were saved a few years ago.
Colonel Michael Lippert congratulated the militia soldiers on the successful “Kopal24” exercise and emphasized the high level of discipline with which the troops had mastered all the tasks assigned to them: “A battalion is the core of every army. The battalion is able to carry out orders independently. To become the commander of such a unit, you need a lot of experience, the will to perform and a lot of challenging training.” Addressing the commanders, he added: “The special thing about Colonel Bracher and Lieutenant Colonel Höllerer is that they both completed their training in the militia. This means that in addition to their demanding jobs and their families, which they need, they have invested a great deal of time and energy to achieve this function. You have both more than fulfilled the oath you took to the Republic of Austria.”
In her laudatory speech, Defense Minister Tanner emphasized that the Lower Austria “Kopal” Jäger Battalion had always been able to fulfill the tasks assigned to it despite the tight financial situation and paid tribute to the soldiers. The actual ceremony ended with the ceremonial presentation of four standards to the company commanders by the new battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel Öllerer.
Afterwards, the Minister took the opportunity to talk to the troops in person. She was also happy to comply with the request for souvenir photos of the militiamen together.
Officers and invited guests then met in the cafeteria of the barracks, where the new commander, Lieutenant Colonel Franz Öllerer, presented his predecessor, Colonel Hermann Bracher, with a sabre donated by his comrades, to the applause of those present.
In the subsequent interview with Militär Aktuell, Lieutenant Colonel Öllerer regretted that the importance of the militia in society is currently “far too low”: “The fact that there are no longer any mandatory militia exercises means that people completely lose the connection to their brother or friend volunteering for a militia exercise.” Knowledge of the militia has largely “disappeared” from the population in recent years because it is “no longer so widely affected”. Information campaigns are needed to counteract this. He would also like politicians to reintroduce compulsory militia exercises. This is also a demand of the Officers’ Association.
Lieutenant Colonel Öllerer joined the Landwehrstramm Regiment 33 in Mautern in 1986 as a one-year volunteer. This was followed by officer training and other assignments, including in Jäger Battalion 10. Since 2016, he has been deputy commander of the Jäger Battalion Lower Austria, which he has now taken over.
Here for further army news.
