The Austrian Armed Forces currently have 1,400 soldiers deployed in Austria. Of these, 440 soldiers come from Tyrolean garrisons, 90 of whom are militiamen. “In Tyrol, we can currently meet all the demands placed on us with Tyrolean soldiers,” says the military commander of Tyrol, Brigadier General Ingo Gstrein, with satisfaction. “Our soldiers are also deployed outside of Tyrol for the protection and security of the population,” he continues.
The 1st Jäger Company from Landeck is deployed at the southern borders of Tyrol. Together with the police, the 110 soldiers are preventing illegal entry into Tyrol and helping the health authorities to contain the coronavirus. “The deployment requires a high degree of flexibility from my soldiers,” explains Captain Simon G. “On behalf of the health authorities, we carry out rejections when entry regulations are violated – for example, when entering from risk areas. In support of the police, we monitor freight train traffic, patrol the intermediate area or carry out vehicle checks together with the police to prevent illegal entry,” says the officer from Landeck, describing just some of his soldiers’ tasks. “The biggest challenge at the moment is staying healthy.”
“There are stricter regulations for soldiers regarding the use of mouth and nose protection and hygiene measures than in a civilian environment. After all, only healthy soldiers can carry out missions to protect the population,” Brigadier Gstrein points out. As military commander, he is in charge of all operations in Tyrol and is also responsible for the soldiers in the province. 70 members of the armed forces from Tyrol are dedicated to contact tracing. Under the direction of the province of Tyrol, members of the armed forces make phone calls to people who are suspected of having Covid. Depending on the test result, they initiate isolation and quarantine measures on behalf of the health authorities. They try to quickly identify outbreak hotspots and contain the outbreak.
A further 280 Tyrolean soldiers have left Tyrol to take part in missions in other federal states. The supply and transport company from Tyrol, for example, is deployed in Styria. The commander, Lieutenant Dominik E., monitors the state border with Slovenia with 220 soldiers. “140 soldiers in my company come from Tyrol, just like me,” reports the company commander. 80 soldiers from other parts of Austria were assigned to the company. The deployment in Styria is also aimed at combating the spread and introduction of the coronavirus and illegal entry. The soldiers check people and vehicles on freeways and main roads. But the soldiers are also on the move away from the roads along the green border. “We check along the 148 km long national border. That’s about as far as the highway from Landeck to Kufstein,” says the Tyrolean officer. A similar mission is carried out by 140 soldiers from Jäger Battalion 24 from Lienz and St. Johann in Burgenland. “We soldiers are deployed wherever we are needed. In our role as the Republic’s reserve, we are committed to protecting the population of Austria,” says Brigadier Gstrein.
