As part of the “Military of the Year 2019” matinee, the Austrian Armed Forces honored soldiers, civilian employees and army departments for special achievements in 2019. This year, the title “Soldier of the Year 2019” went to Lower Austrian non-commissioned officer Robert Martschin. Chief of the General Staff Robert Brieger presented the honorary award.
Lower Austrian is “Soldier of the Year”
Born in Melk, Vice Lieutenant Robert Martschin is an engineer planning NCO and explosives expert at Pioneer Battalion 3 in Melk. With his know-how and initiative, he is considered to be the best-trained NCO. Thanks to his expertise, the idea of a jetty in the reservoir area of the Melk power station could be realized. This makes it possible to carry out all training on the water without being dependent on the water level. Robert Martschin was also significantly involved in road construction on the Hungarian-Serbian border. In addition, he is involved in the testing and procurement of personal protective equipment for the water service and in the modernization of the ferry equipment and thus in the safety of the soldiers. KPE company of Jäger Battalion 23 is “Unit of the Year”
The soldiers of the Kaderpräsenzeinheit (KPE) company of Jäger Battalion 23 from Vorarlberg distinguished themselves with outstanding performances at home and abroad: A large number of them were deployed on the Brenner Pass assistance mission in 2018; the Jägerzug Bludesch was stationed abroad in Kosovo from October 2018 to April 2019, among other things. The Vorarlbergers also demonstrate their professionalism and high level of training in day-to-day operations. Equally pleasing is the outstanding manning level in Jäger Battalion 23; a modern leadership style and a special appreciation of the soldiers make a significantly high proportion of batches in Jäger Battalion 23 possible.
Salzburg native is “Recruit of the Year”
21-year-old Private Fatbardh Azizi, born in Zell am See, joined Jäger Battalion 8 in Tamsweg in April 2019. In July, his company began its assistance mission in Burgenland. There, the private was able to score points above all with his organizational skills and camaraderie. Fatbardh Azizi also independently managed the flow of information from the group to the platoon and the company, kept the situation map and provided the forces deployed at the border with valuable information. Pvt. Azizi was always a vigilant, ambitious and helpful comrade who carried out his duties with a clear conscience. Textile technician named “Civilian of the Year”
Herbert Engel from Laa an der Thaya has been a member of the Austrian Armed Forces since 2003 and works as head of technical principles and specifications at the Brunn Army Clothing Institute. Thanks to his innovative and creative ideas in clothing development, he was able to claim first place in the “Civilian of the Year” category. Among other things, he developed the modular bullet/impact/stab protection vest. This unique innovation offers the possibility of being used as an undergarment (protection against 9 mm pistol ammunition), as a bullet protection vest (protection against 7.62 mm machine gun ammunition) and as a stab and impact protection vest during operations. Herbert Engel also developed a special “softshell jacket”, which completely replaces the thermal jacket and the alpine thermal jacket. The “Military of the Year” event honors special initiatives and exceptional military achievements. This recognition is an expression of modern company management and appreciation of all soldiers and employees of the Austrian Armed Forces.
