There was no shortage of things to talk about at the New Year's reception at the Franz-Josef-Strauß barracks in Altenstadt in view of the Ukraine war and the new defense minister.
There was also some criticism of politics.
Altenstadt – After a two-year Corona break, guests from all walks of life flocked to the traditional New Year's reception in the Altenstadt barracks.
The firefighters around district fire chief Johann Deschler and Schongau's commander Werner Berchtold spoke animatedly with police chief Herbert Kieweg, Schongau's pastor Norbert Marxer chatted with some city and local councillors, a squad of mayor and deputy district administrator Wolfgang Taffertshofer, city and local councilors and representatives of veterans' associations there – and of course many soldiers.
Whereby the encouragement of high-ranking military officers was once greater.
After the welcome by Lieutenant Colonel Sven Tillery, site senior and commander of the Sergeant and Non-Commissioned Officer Candidate Battalion 3 (FA/UA), there was a spectacular image film showing the many aspects of the Airborne/Air Transport School (LL/LTS).
"Everything comes down.
We train people on how to do it properly," says Lieutenant Colonel Martin Holle, head of the LL/LTS, about parachute jumps into Lake Kochel and setting down loads such as jeeps.
Airborne/Air Transport School lacks instructors
The turning point proclaimed by Chancellor Olaf Scholz "is also extremely relevant for us," said Holle.
But the new target structure of the army, which will have a direct impact on the structure of the LL/LTS due to changed training content, has not yet been determined.
That is why the need for 40 additional trainers in Altenstadt, which was already determined in 2019 “in a very time-consuming process”, will only be half covered this year, which Holle put in clear words: “For us, the turning point in time leads to a paradoxical, unsatisfactory situation Situation of the still underfunded training on site."
The Bundeswehr is also in a bad position when it comes to supply from the air because, according to Holle, there is still no certified load release system for the Airbus A400M.
That should be made up for this year, then loads of up to four tons can be handled - and from October they will help to increase this to 16 tons so that larger vehicles can also be safely and quickly set down.
"It will definitely be a real highlight," says Holle happily.
The introduction of the new troop parachute, which is significantly more powerful and means less risk when landing, is also positive.
Wind tunnel will be delayed and more expensive
The wind tunnel that has been longed for for what feels like an eternity, which would enable free fall without an airplane and for which the Bundestag made eight million euros available at the end of 2018, should now cost 14 million euros and be completed in 2030.
According to Holle, planning is underway.
A new abseiling and climbing tower is already under construction, which should be ready by the end of the year and will cost two million euros.
"If you add up all the infrastructure measures planned by 2030, the investments are over 100 million euros," said Holle, who also reported on a first email from the new Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who was sworn in on the same day.
He sent encouraging words and announced that "departure and upheaval" will dominate the next few years - the soldiers already know that.
From October the battalion will be disbanded
Although he has been in Altenstadt for two years, it was the first New Year's reception for commander Sven Tillery as head of the FA/UA battalion due to Corona - and probably the last.
Because he will probably leave Altenstadt at the end of September after the usual three years, in line with the end of the battalion.
As reported, the training has been changed, there is no basic training, but only three-month non-commissioned officer courses with mixed participants - from almost beginners to experienced veterans with foreign assignments.
There will be three more of these courses this year, followed by the six-month dissolution phase with the return of weapons and vehicles.
160 posts will be eliminated, this should happen gradually.
"A decision has not yet been made as to which unit will follow and when," Tillery said.
However, the balance sheet for the previous year reads well: 600 sergeant and non-commissioned officer candidates were trained, four stays at a military training area were completed, two swearing-in ceremonies were held and 700,000 rounds of ammunition were used.
After Tillery's speech (see box), Altenstadt's mayor, Andreas Kögl, emphasized the great esteem in which the soldiers in the region are held in high esteem and called for "motivated personnel, suitable material and the appropriate training" in the Bundeswehr.
The Altenstadt location is a mainstay for this.
He hopes that the funds announced by the chancellor will arrive on site soon and in a targeted manner.
You can find more current news from the region around Schongau at Merkur.de/Schongau.
