Wachbataillon
Encyclopedia
The Wachbataillon is the German
Bundeswehr
's elite drill unit. The Wachbataillon is the largest battalion
of the German forces with about 1,800 soldiers, split in two garrison
s in Berlin
and Siegburg
. It consists of nine companies
(see list below) and belongs to the Streitkräftebasis
(Joint Service Support Command) of the Bundeswehr. The soldiers of the Wachbataillon often refer to themselves as Protter or Protokollsoldaten, meaning protocol soldiers.
The primary mission of the Wachbataillon is to perform the military honours for the German president
, the German Chancellor, the Federal Minister of Defence and the Inspector General of the Bundeswehr during state visits or on comparable occasions.
In addition the Wachbataillon executes the Großer Zapfenstreich
on special occasions (for example on the 50th anniversary of the Bundeswehr in front of the Reichstag in Berlin on the night of October 26, 2005) or takes part in (inter)national events like the ceremonial oath of the Bundeswehr
ceremony, parade
s, military tattoo
s and shows with its drill team which is the best trained special unit of the battalion.
A secondary mission is to perform (ceremonial) guard duty at the Ministry of Defence and other high profile public places and protect and guard the members of the German government and the Ministry of Defence.
An additional secondary mission is securing and defending the alternate seat of the federal German government in conjunction with forces of the Federal Border Guard. As a direct attack on Germany
is no longer an urgent threat since the end of the Cold War
, that mission has become somewhat obsolescent.
s and moustache
s. About 80% of Wachbataillon's personnel are conscripts. The soldiers of the Wachbataillon are from all three German forces (i.e. Army
, Navy
and Air Force
) and have the uniforms from all forces at their disposal to be able to perform any drill mission on every occasion.
Recently (2009) the 1./WachBtl BMVg staff- and supply company has started to admit female personnel.
the Wachbataillon is the only unit of the Bundeswehr still using the Karabiner 98k
because the traditional Prussia
n rifle drills can be executed better with that historical weapon. In 1995 remaining Swastika and other Nazi-era markings were removed from these rifles, after criticism regarding the presence of such symbols on Wachbataillon kit by the SPD parliamentary party
.
During normal day duty the Wachbattalion uses the Heckler & Koch G36
assault rifle and other kit like the other units of the Bundeswehr. The 1st company is the last unit in the Bundeswehr using 6 Feldhaubitze 105 mm
guns in the role of salute guns.
The silent drill team of The Citadel
, The Summerall Guards
, models its close-order drill routine after Wachbataillon's.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Bundeswehr
Bundeswehr
The Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities...
's elite drill unit. The Wachbataillon is the largest battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
of the German forces with about 1,800 soldiers, split in two garrison
Garrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
s in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and Siegburg
Siegburg
--122.148.78.228 05:06, 14 November 2011 Siegburg is a city in the district of Rhein-Sieg-Kreis, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany...
. It consists of nine companies
Company
A company is a form of business organization. It is an association or collection of individual real persons and/or other companies, who each provide some form of capital. This group has a common purpose or focus and an aim of gaining profits. This collection, group or association of persons can be...
(see list below) and belongs to the Streitkräftebasis
Streitkräftebasis
Streitkräftebasis is a branch of the German Bundeswehr established in October 2000 as a result of major reforms of the German Bundeswehr. It handles various logistics and organisational tasks of the German Armed Forces...
(Joint Service Support Command) of the Bundeswehr. The soldiers of the Wachbataillon often refer to themselves as Protter or Protokollsoldaten, meaning protocol soldiers.
Mission
President of Germany
The President of the Federal Republic of Germany is the country's head of state. His official title in German is Bundespräsident . Germany has a parliamentary system of government and so the position of President is largely ceremonial...
, the German Chancellor, the Federal Minister of Defence and the Inspector General of the Bundeswehr during state visits or on comparable occasions.
In addition the Wachbataillon executes the Großer Zapfenstreich
Großer Zapfenstreich
The is a military ceremony performed in Germany and Austria. It is similar to the military tattoo ceremony carried out in English-speaking countries, and is the most important ceremonial act executed by the German federal armed forces, the Bundeswehr...
on special occasions (for example on the 50th anniversary of the Bundeswehr in front of the Reichstag in Berlin on the night of October 26, 2005) or takes part in (inter)national events like the ceremonial oath of the Bundeswehr
Ceremonial oath of the Bundeswehr
There are two types of soldiers serving in the Bundeswehr : regular units and conscripts. Consequently, there are also two types of oaths. That for conscripts is a pledge, since the latter may be soldiers against their own will...
ceremony, parade
Parade
A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of some kind...
s, military tattoo
Military tattoo
The original meaning of military tattoo is a military drum performance, but nowadays it sometimes means army displays more generally.It dates from the 17th century when the British Army was fighting in the Low Countries...
s and shows with its drill team which is the best trained special unit of the battalion.
A secondary mission is to perform (ceremonial) guard duty at the Ministry of Defence and other high profile public places and protect and guard the members of the German government and the Ministry of Defence.
An additional secondary mission is securing and defending the alternate seat of the federal German government in conjunction with forces of the Federal Border Guard. As a direct attack on Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
is no longer an urgent threat since the end of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, that mission has become somewhat obsolescent.
Recruitment
The Wachbataillon protocol- and security companies only admit male personnel that have a body height ranging from 1.78 metre up to 1.93 metre, normal eyesight and body weight and are generally in good health. Wachbataillon personnel are not allowed to grow beardBeard
A beard is the collection of hair that grows on the chin, cheeks and neck of human beings. Usually, only pubescent or adult males are able to grow beards. However, women with hirsutism may develop a beard...
s and moustache
Moustache
A moustache is facial hair grown on the outer surface of the upper lip. It may or may not be accompanied by a type of beard, a facial hair style grown and cropped to cover most of the lower half of the face.-Etymology:...
s. About 80% of Wachbataillon's personnel are conscripts. The soldiers of the Wachbataillon are from all three German forces (i.e. Army
German Army
The German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
, Navy
German Navy
The German Navy is the navy of Germany and is part of the unified Bundeswehr .The German Navy traces its roots back to the Imperial Fleet of the revolutionary era of 1848 – 52 and more directly to the Prussian Navy, which later evolved into the Northern German Federal Navy...
and Air Force
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
) and have the uniforms from all forces at their disposal to be able to perform any drill mission on every occasion.
Recently (2009) the 1./WachBtl BMVg staff- and supply company has started to admit female personnel.
Equipment
For reasons of traditionTradition
A tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past. Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes , but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings...
the Wachbataillon is the only unit of the Bundeswehr still using the Karabiner 98k
Karabiner 98k
The Karabiner 98 Kurz was a bolt action rifle chambered for the 8x57mm IS/7.92×57mm IS cartridge that was adopted as the standard service rifle in 1935 by the German Wehrmacht. It was one of the final developments in the long line of Mauser military rifles...
because the traditional Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n rifle drills can be executed better with that historical weapon. In 1995 remaining Swastika and other Nazi-era markings were removed from these rifles, after criticism regarding the presence of such symbols on Wachbataillon kit by the SPD parliamentary party
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
.
During normal day duty the Wachbattalion uses the Heckler & Koch G36
Heckler & Koch G36
The Heckler & Koch G36 is a 5.56×45mm assault rifle, designed in the early 1990s by Heckler & Koch in Germany as a replacement for the 7.62mm G3 battle rifle. It was accepted into service with the Bundeswehr in 1997, replacing the G3...
assault rifle and other kit like the other units of the Bundeswehr. The 1st company is the last unit in the Bundeswehr using 6 Feldhaubitze 105 mm
M101 howitzer
The 105 mm M2A1 howitzer was the standard light field howitzer for the United States in World War II, seeing action in both European and Pacific theaters. Entering production in 1941, it quickly entered the war against the Imperial Japanese Army in the Pacific, where it gained a reputation...
guns in the role of salute guns.
The silent drill team of The Citadel
The Citadel (military college)
The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, also known simply as The Citadel, is a state-supported, comprehensive college located in Charleston, South Carolina, USA. It is one of the six senior military colleges in the United States...
, The Summerall Guards
The Summerall Guards
- Unit History and Background :Named after General Charles P. Summerall, former Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army and Citadel president from 1931 until 1953, The Summerall Guards were founded in 1932 and remains The Citadel's elite, silent drill platoon....
, models its close-order drill routine after Wachbataillon's.
List of Wachbataillon's companies
| Company | Duty of company | Arm | Stationed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1./WachBtl BMVg | Staff- and supply company | Army German Army The German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force... |
Berlin |
| 2./WachBtl BMVg | Protocol- and security company | Army | Berlin |
| 3./WachBtl BMVg | Protocol- and security company | Army | Siegburg |
| 4./WachBtl BMVg | Protocol- and security company | Navy German Navy The German Navy is the navy of Germany and is part of the unified Bundeswehr .The German Navy traces its roots back to the Imperial Fleet of the revolutionary era of 1848 – 52 and more directly to the Prussian Navy, which later evolved into the Northern German Federal Navy... |
Berlin |
| 5./WachBtl BMVg | Protocol- and security company | Air Force Luftwaffe Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956.... |
Berlin |
| 6./WachBtl BMVg | Protocol- and security company | Army | Siegburg |
| 7./WachBtl BMVg | Protocol- and security company | Army | Berlin |
| 8./WachBtl BMVg | Protocol- and security company | Air Force | Berlin |
| 9./WachBtl BMVg | Security company | Army: Jägertruppe Jäger (military) Jäger is a term that was adopted in the Enlightenment era in German-speaking states and others influenced by German military practice to describe a kind of light infantry, and it has continued in that use since then.... Air Force/Navy: provide a portion of the non-commissioned personnel |
Berlin |