26th Airborne Brigade (Bundeswehr)

26th (Saarland) Airborne Brigade
Luftlandebrigade 26 "Saarland"
Formation sign of 26th (Saarland) Airborne Brigade
Active1958–2015
Country Germany
Allegiance Bundeswehr
Branch German Army
TypeIntervention force brigade
Size~ 3500
Part ofSpecial Operations Division
HeadquartersSaarlouis
Nickname(s)Saarlandbrigade
EngagementsSomalian Civil War
Bosnian Civil War
Kosovo War
Afghanistan War
  • Operation Harekate Yolo I
  • Operation Oqab
Commanders
CommanderBrigadegeneral Eberhard Zorn
Military unit
26th Airborne Brigade (Luftlandebrigade 26)
Components
Staff/Headquarters company

260 Airborne Recce Company (Luftlandeaufklärungskomppanie 260)
260 Airborne Engineer Company (Luftlandepionierkompanie 260)
Paratrooper Battalion 261 (Fallschirmjägerbataillon 261)
262 Airborne Support Battalion (Luftandeunterstützungsbataillon 262)
Paratrooper Battalion 263 (Fallschirmjägerbataillon 263)
270 Airborne Engineer Company (Luftlandepionierkompanie 270)

310 Airborne Recce Company (Luftlandeaufklärungskomppanie 310)

26th (Saarland) Airborne Brigade (German: Luftlandebrigade 26 "Saarland") is a formation in the Special Operations Division of the German Army with a strength of about 3,500 men and its brigade headquarters in Saarlouis. The Brigade is also called the Saarland Brigade as almost all its troops are stationed in the federal state of Saarland. Other elements are based in Rhineland-Palatinate. Most of the 26th Airborne Brigade belongs to the intervention forces of the Bundeswehr, and the formation therefore provides the overwhelming proportion of paratroopers and airborne troops for the intervention forces of the Army. The Brigade motto is: Einsatzbereit – jederzeit – weltweit ("Ready for action - anytime - worldwide"). The Brigade greeting is "Glück ab".

The brigade was previously part of the 1st Airborne Division alongside the 25th and 27th Luftlande Brigades.

Commanders

The brigade commanders were (rank on takeover):

No. Name Takeover date Handover date
17 Oberst Stefan Geilen 4 December 2014 31 March 2015
16 Oberst Andreas Hannemann 1 February 2012 4 December 2014
15 Oberst Eberhard Zorn 14 January 2010 31 January 2012
14 Oberst Volker Bescht 29 August 2005 14 January 2010
13 Oberst Hans-Werner Fritz 2003 29 August 2005
12 Oberst Manfred Schlenker (2000) (2002)
11 Oberst Henning Glawatz (1996) (1999)
10 Oberst Hans-Heinrich Dieter 1 April 1994 (1995)
9 Oberst Helmut Harff 1 April 1990 31 March 1994
8 Oberst Fritz Eckert 1 April 1983 31 March 1990
7 Oberst Herbert Hagenbruck April 1976 31 March 1983
6 Oberst Hans Kubis September 1973 March 1976
5 Oberst Helmut Liebeskind October 1970 September 1973
4 Oberst Heinrich Schwiethal October 1968 September 1970
3 Oberst Karl-Albert Keerl April 1967 October 1968
2 Oberst Hans-Werner Voss October 1963 April 1967
1 Oberst Erich Timm October 1958 September 1963

See also

References

Literature

  • Sören Sünkler: Die Spezialverbände der Bundeswehr. Stuttgart: Motorbuch Verlag 2007. ISBN 3-613-02592-2
  • Sören Sünkler: K-ISOM 1. Ausgabe 2008, Artikel LLBrig. 26, Sept.-Okt. 2008, KOMMANDO- International Special Operations Magazine ISSN 1866-9360.

External links

  • Official website of the Brigade
  • Federal archive of the Brigade
  • Official page of 261 Parachute Battalion
  • 3./FschJgBtl 261
  • Video at tagesschau.de Report about degrading behaviour in the barracks in Zweibrücken

49°18′48″N 6°44′03″E / 49.313331°N 6.734254°E / 49.313331; 6.734254

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