The uniform here is
of a Hauptgefreiter or Lance Corporal of the Panzergrenadiertruppe assigned to
the Panzerlehrbrigade 9. All Bundeswehr soldiers enter the 12 week basic
training program with the title of Schütze 'Rifleman' or another title of
significance in relation to their desired branch of service and upon graduation
are promoted to the rank of Gefreiter 'Private', after three months of
satisfactory federal service a Gefreiter is then promoted to the rank of
Obergefreiter or Private First Class and after nine months of satisfactory
federal service the Obergefreiter is then promoted to the rank of
Hauptgefreiter.
The uniform is
designated with the green waffenfarbe color piping of the Infanterietruppe,
the German Infantry Corps which is divided into two groups:
Jägertruppe/Panzergrenadiertruppe effectively 'Light Infantry
Corps/Mechanized Infantry Corps'. Being an enlisted soldier, note the metal
Hauptgefreiter insignia on the shoulderboards. The metal insignia are typically
mounted with five to six prongs pushed through the material of the uniform
epaulette and then secured on the underside of the uniform shoulderboard.
On the left shoulder
is the shoulder flash patch of the Panzerlehrbrigade 9. The patch displays two
crossed swords with a white "L" for Lehrbrigade (Demonstration
Brigade) against a red background with an accompanying pink border. It
resembles the badge of the Armored Troops School. School units technically have
an 'S' for School on their patches and the 'L' designates the unit as a
Lehrtruppenteil or 'Training Force' of the Panzertruppenschule or Armored Corps
School. The pink border is representative of the branch of service for the
Armored Troops. Each Heer branch school has patches of similar constitution
using the colors of their branch of service.
Also note the
cuffbands on the sleeves bearing the unit name Panzerlehrbrigade 9 embroidered
in white against a black background. The cuff title Panzerlehrbrigade was
authorized for the Brigade by the German President on 24 September 1987. This
is a fundamental coat of arms for the unit with influences from the Prussian
era in the colors of black and white. The colors black and white were the
colors of the standards and the lances of the Prussian-German cavalry forces
dating back to the Napoleonic Wars. These colors were retained in modern German
heraldry as a symbol of the armored corps which is regarded as the successor
branch to heavy cavalry.
Here is the green
beret of the Infantry Corps. The moss green beret is utilized by the
Infanterietruppen, Army contingents of the Wachbataillon and Panzerjäger or
Anti-Armor forces.
The beret badge depicts an oak wreath with crossed Mauser
Karabiner 98k rifles, the flag of the Federal Republic of Germany and a tank.
This is the badge of the Panzergrenadiertruppe.
When the Bundeswehr
was established in 1955, it's troops were divided amongst three categories of
force: Eingreifkräfte or 'Intervention forces' tasked with crisis intervention
and contribution to intervention forces such as NATO Response contingents,
Stabilisierungskräfte 'Stabilization forces' which provide forces for
multinational, joint military operations of low to medium intensity. These
differentiate from intervention forces in that they are intended for
peacekeeping operations of longer duration. The last class being
Unterstützungskräften 'Supply forces' tasked with providing logistic and
manpower support for the operations of the armed forces.
The German Army
maintains several specialized units known for conducting exercises known in
Germany as Informationslehrübung Gefechts und Luftfahrzeuge des Deutschen
Heeres or German Army Combat Vehicle and Aircraft Demonstration Exercises in
English; which showcased the capabilities of the Army's fighting vehicles and
aircraft and how they operate in a combined effort jointly in various
scenarios. One such unit the pride of the Heer is the Panzerlehrbrigade 9 (9th
Armored Demonstration Brigade), which during the Cold War was stationed in the
city of Munster, Lower Saxony in West Germany. The unit was established on 1
June 1958 with with the new Army structure of four combat companies, a
headquarters and a supply company.
The unit was
reorganized further in 1959 under the reorganizations of Army Structure II
which added the brigade headquarters company and a the Armored Reconnaissance
Training Battalion. In peacetime, the unit trains both armored forces and
mechanized infantry troops and in wartime it would be mobilized into a rapid
reaction force.
The Panzerlehrbrigade
9 operated a force of Leopard main battle tanks, Marder infantry fighting
vehicles and M109 Paladin self propelled howitzers for leading combined arms
operations under a multinational or joint forces environment under the
direction of a divisional command, in mobile and or networked operations.
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