German Army Forces Command
Encyclopedia
Army Command in Falckenstein Barracks in Koblenz
is one of the two leadership pillars of the German Army
, together with the German Army Office.
Since 1994, Army Command, as the supreme command authority, has directed the majority of military units within the Army. However, army troops on operations abroad are commanded by the Bundeswehr Operations Command of the Bundeswehr
based at Potsdam
. Currently Army Command has about 83,500 soldiers in its subordinate organisations. Army Command is led by Lt. Gen. Carl-Hubertus von Butler and reports to the German General Staff.
, although it lacks the Roman numeral. It portrays the symbol of German sovereignty, the federal eagle
. Its colour scheme is based on that of the German Federation: black, red and gold. The badge is worn by military personnel on the staff of the Command on the left sleeve of their service dress. The braided black and gold piping represents its status above the Army's divisions, which have silver instead of gold braid.
was led on operations by NATO. The change in the security situation in Europe
resulting from the dissolution of the Soviet Union
required a national German command to be formed.
Following the disbandment of III Corps
, Army Command was formed in the same location in Koblenz on 31 March 1994 from elements of the former corps staff and placed under command of Lieutenant General
Klaus Reinhardt
. From 2001, with the Army's division
reporting directly to Army Command, the corps
level of command was dropped. In 2002, the Bundeswehr Operations Command in Potsdam
was established and, from then on, German troops on international operations are commanded from there. Before that, Army Command led a number of operations, beginning in 1995, such as IFOR
, SFOR
, AFOR and Kosovo Force (KFOR) in the Balkans
and the International Security Assistance Force
in Afghanistan
.
Army Command also has links to the US Army Command (JHC Heidelberg), the French Army, the Dutch Army, the British Army
, as well as the Luftwaffe
, and German Navy
.
In addition the following central depots also answer to the Army Command:
Army Command also provides forces for EU Battlegroups, for the NATO Response Force
and for the United Nations
when asked. In addition to the Franco-German Brigade
, Army Command provides permanent German elements on the staffs and supporting units as well as other troops for:
Koblenz
Koblenz is a German city situated on both banks of the Rhine at its confluence with the Moselle, where the Deutsches Eck and its monument are situated.As Koblenz was one of the military posts established by Drusus about 8 BC, the...
is one of the two leadership pillars of the German 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...
, together with the German Army Office.
Since 1994, Army Command, as the supreme command authority, has directed the majority of military units within the Army. However, army troops on operations abroad are commanded by the Bundeswehr Operations Command of the Bundeswehr
Bundeswehr
The Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities...
based at Potsdam
Potsdam
Potsdam is the capital city of the German federal state of Brandenburg and part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. It is situated on the River Havel, southwest of Berlin city centre....
. Currently Army Command has about 83,500 soldiers in its subordinate organisations. Army Command is led by Lt. Gen. Carl-Hubertus von Butler and reports to the German General Staff.
Badge
The Army Command Badge is similar to the badge of the former CorpsCorps
A corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...
, although it lacks the Roman numeral. It portrays the symbol of German sovereignty, the federal eagle
Coat of arms of Germany
The coat of arms of Germany displays a black eagle on a yellow shield ....
. Its colour scheme is based on that of the German Federation: black, red and gold. The badge is worn by military personnel on the staff of the Command on the left sleeve of their service dress. The braided black and gold piping represents its status above the Army's divisions, which have silver instead of gold braid.
Tasks
The primary functions of the Command are:- Full military command of all subordinate formations and staffs
- Allocation of troops to operations and training
- Planning and managing the training and exercise activity of the Army
- In exceptional cases, command of smaller operations (normally the task of the Bundeswehr Operations Command)
History
Until the 1990s, the German ArmyGerman 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...
was led on operations by NATO. The change in the security situation in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
resulting from the dissolution of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
required a national German command to be formed.
Following the disbandment of III Corps
III Corps (Bundeswehr)
III Corps was a corps of the German Army active from 1957 to 1994.The preparation of the staff of the corps took place from 16 March 1957 at Gneisenau-Kaserne, Koblenz; the corps was officially formed on 6th April 1957. Initially, the 2nd Panzergrenadier Division and 5th Armoured Division from the...
, Army Command was formed in the same location in Koblenz on 31 March 1994 from elements of the former corps staff and placed under command of Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
Klaus Reinhardt
Klaus Reinhardt
Klaus Reinhardt is a former German Army General.He used to be commander of the German Army Forces Command, of the NATO Joint Headquarters Center , and of KFOR in Kosovo.- Military career :In 1960 entered the German Army as a officer candidate with the mountain infantry forces...
. From 2001, with the Army's division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
reporting directly to Army Command, the corps
Corps
A corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...
level of command was dropped. In 2002, the Bundeswehr Operations Command in Potsdam
Potsdam
Potsdam is the capital city of the German federal state of Brandenburg and part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. It is situated on the River Havel, southwest of Berlin city centre....
was established and, from then on, German troops on international operations are commanded from there. Before that, Army Command led a number of operations, beginning in 1995, such as IFOR
IFOR
The Implementation Force was a NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force in Bosnia and Herzegovina under a one-year mandate from 20 December 1995 to 20 December 1996 under the codename Operation Joint Endeavour. Its task was to implement the military Annexes of The General Framework Agreement for...
, SFOR
SFOR
The Stabilisation Force was a NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force in Bosnia and Herzegovina which was tasked with upholding the Dayton Agreement. It replaced the previous force IFOR...
, AFOR and Kosovo Force (KFOR) in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
and the International Security Assistance Force
International Security Assistance Force
The International Security Assistance Force is a NATO-led security mission in Afghanistan established by the United Nations Security Council on 20 December 2001 by Resolution 1386 as envisaged by the Bonn Agreement...
in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.
Commanders
Army Command is led by a lieutenant general. The general in charge of Army Command since 16 March 2009 has been Lieutenant General Carl-Hubertus von Butler. He succeeded Lieutenant General Wolfgang Otto. Reporting to the commander are his deputy (a major general) and his chief of staff (a brigadier general). The staff of Army Command currently consist of some 400 soldiers and 50 civilians. The fourth post at general level in the time of Drew and Korte was the post of the General of National and Territorial Tasks (GNTA).Staff Organisation
- G1: personnel and administration
- G2: Army intelligence, arms control, meteorology and geo
- G3: command, planning, operational readiness, training and exercise planning
- G4: logistics / materiel / maintenance
- G5: civil-military cooperation (CIMIC)
- G6: communications / IT / command support
- Surgeon-General: head of Army medical services, planning and advice on medical support
- PIZ: The Press and Information Centre; informing the public and organizing military bands
- Troops Psychology: advice to the commander on psychological issues
- Legal advice: legal advice to the commander
- Controlling/centralised tasks: monitoring expenditure and the budget, optimization
Army Command also has links to the US Army Command (JHC Heidelberg), the French Army, the Dutch Army, the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, as well as the Luftwaffe
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 German 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...
.
Forces under Command
From 2010, Army Command has the following formations under command as part of "Army 2010" (Heer 2010) or the New Army" (Neues Heer):- Army Command in KoblenzKoblenzKoblenz is a German city situated on both banks of the Rhine at its confluence with the Moselle, where the Deutsches Eck and its monument are situated.As Koblenz was one of the military posts established by Drusus about 8 BC, the...
- Franco-German BrigadeFranco-German BrigadeThe Franco-German Brigade is a joint formation consisting of units from both the French Armée de Terre and German Heer armies and is integrated in Eurocorps.-History:...
at MüllheimMüllheimMüllheim is a town in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. It belongs to the district Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald. Müllheim is generally considered to be the center of the region known as Markgräflerland.-History:...
(German element) -
Intervention Forces Division / 1st Armoured Division at HanoverHanoverHanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
- Panzerlehrbrigade 9Panzerlehrbrigade 9The Panzerlehrbrigade 9 is a formation of about 5,000 men strong within the German Armed Forces or Bundeswehr, which is subordinated to the 1st Armoured Division in Hanover. The bulk of the brigade is stationed in Munster. Two battalions are based in Neustadt am Rübenberge...
at Munster - 21st (Lipperland) Armoured Brigade at AugustdorfAugustdorfAugustdorf is a municipality in the Lippe district of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It has an area of 42.21 km² and c. 10,000 inhabitants.-External links:*...
- Panzerlehrbrigade 9
- Special Operations Division at StadtallendorfStadtallendorfStadtallendorf is a town in Marburg-Biedenkopf, Hesse, Germany, which lies about east of Marburg.- Location :Under the German system of Naturräume, Stadtallendorf lies in the West Hesse Depression Zone which is divided into basins and ridges...
- 26th (Saarland) Airborne Brigade at SaarlouisSaarlouisSaarlouis is a city in the Saarland, Germany, capital of the district of Saarlouis. In 2006, the town had a population of 38,327. Saarlouis, as the name implies, is located at the river Saar....
- 31st (Oldenburg) Airborne Brigade at OldenburgOldenburgOldenburg is an independent city in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated in the western part of the state between the cities of Bremen and Groningen, Netherlands, at the Hunte river. It has a population of 160,279 which makes it the fourth biggest city in Lower Saxony after Hanover, Braunschweig...
- Special Forces CommandKommando SpezialkräfteThe KSK Kommando Spezialkräfte is an elite military unit composed of Special Operations soldiers from the ranks of Germany’s Bundeswehr and organized as such under the Division Spezielle Operationen . The unit has received many decorations and awards from both NATO and its affiliates...
(brigade-level) at CalwCalwCalw is a municipality in the middle of Baden-Württemberg in the south of Germany, capital of the district Calw. It is located in the northern Black Forest.-History:...
- 26th (Saarland) Airborne Brigade at Saarlouis
- Airmobile Operations Division at VeitshöchheimVeitshöchheimVeitshöchheim is a municipality in the district of Würzburg, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the Main, 6 km northwest of Würzburg. In the town is Schloss Veitshöchheim; this summer palace of the Prince-Bishops of Würzburg was built in 1680-82, and was enlarged to its...
- 1st Airmobile Brigade at FritzlarFritzlarFritzlar is a small German town in the Schwalm-Eder district in northern Hesse, north of Frankfurt, with a storied history. It can reasonably be argued that the town is the site where the Christianization of northern Germany began and the birthplace of the German empire as a political entity.The...
- Army Combat Support Brigade (Heerestruppenbrigade) at BruchsalBruchsalBruchsal is a city at the western edge of the Kraichgau, approximately 20 km northeast of Karlsruhe in the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany...
- 1st Airmobile Brigade at Fritzlar
- 10th Armoured Division10th Armoured Division (Germany)The 10th Armoured Division is an armoured division in the German Army of the Bundeswehr.Its staff is based at Sigmaringen. The division is a unit of the German Army's stabilization forces and specialized on conflicts of low intensity.- History :This division was founded as the 10. Panzerdivision...
(SigmaringenSigmaringenSigmaringen is a town in southern Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg. Situated on the upper Danube, it is the capital of the Sigmaringen district....
)- 23rd Mountain Infantry Brigade "BavariaBavariaBavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
" at Bad ReichenhallBad ReichenhallBad Reichenhall is a spa town, and administrative center of the Berchtesgadener Land district in Upper Bavaria, Germany. It is located near Salzburg in a basin encircled by the Chiemgauer Alps .... - 12th Armoured Brigade "Upper PalatinateUpper PalatinateThe Upper Palatinate is one of the seven administrative regions of Bavaria, Germany, located in the east of Bavaria.- History :The region took its name first in the early 16th century, because it was by the Treaty of Pavia one of the main portions of the territory of the Wittelsbach Elector...
" at AmbergAmbergAmberg is a town in Bavaria, Germany. It is located in the Upper Palatinate, roughly halfway between Regensburg and Bayreuth. Population: 44,756 .- History :...
- 23rd Mountain Infantry Brigade "Bavaria
-
13th Mechanized Infantry Division13th Mechanized Infantry Division (Germany)The 13th Mechanized Infantry Division is a mechanized division of the German Army.Its staff is based at Leipzig...
(LeipzigLeipzigLeipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
)- 37th Mechanized Infantry Brigade "SaxonySaxonyThe Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
" at Frankenberg/Sa. - 41st Mechanized Infantry Brigade "West Pomerania" at TorgelowTorgelowTorgelow is a municipality in the Vorpommern-Greifswald district, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. It is situated on the river Uecker, 12 km south of Ueckermünde, and 41 km northwest of Stettin....
- 37th Mechanized Infantry Brigade "Saxony
- Franco-German Brigade
In addition the following central depots also answer to the Army Command:
- HerongenStraelenStraelen is a municipality in the district of Cleves, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located near the border with the Netherlands, approx. 10 km north-east of Venlo.Straelen was first mentioned in Latin as Strala in 1063.-External links:*...
Army Central Depot - PirmasensPirmasensPirmasens is a district-free city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, near the border with France. It is famous for the manufacture of shoes. The surrounding rural district was called Pirmasens from 1818 until 1997, when it was renamed Südwestpfalz....
Army Central Depot - Central Mobilisation Base at BrückBrückBrück is a town in the Potsdam-Mittelmark district, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated 29 km southwest of Potsdam, and 28 km southeast of Brandenburg. Parts of Brück are located in the High Fläming Nature Park....
- Multinational formations
Army Command also provides forces for EU Battlegroups, for the NATO Response Force
NATO Response Force
The NATO Response Force is a "coherent, high-readiness, joint, multinational force package" of up to 25,000 troops that is "technologically advanced, flexible, deployable, interoperable and sustainable"...
and for the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
when asked. In addition to the Franco-German Brigade
Franco-German Brigade
The Franco-German Brigade is a joint formation consisting of units from both the French Armée de Terre and German Heer armies and is integrated in Eurocorps.-History:...
, Army Command provides permanent German elements on the staffs and supporting units as well as other troops for:
- EurocorpsEurocorpsEurocorps is a multinational standing army corps available for the European Union and the Atlantic Alliance.Headquartered in Strasbourg, France, the force was created in May 1992, activated in October 1993 and declared operational in 1995....
(StraßburgStrasbourgStrasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
)- German elements of the staff
- Franco-German BrigadeFranco-German BrigadeThe Franco-German Brigade is a joint formation consisting of units from both the French Armée de Terre and German Heer armies and is integrated in Eurocorps.-History:...
- 10th Armoured Division10th Armoured Division (Germany)The 10th Armoured Division is an armoured division in the German Army of the Bundeswehr.Its staff is based at Sigmaringen. The division is a unit of the German Army's stabilization forces and specialized on conflicts of low intensity.- History :This division was founded as the 10. Panzerdivision...
when required
-
1 (German/Netherlands) Corps (MünsterMünsterMünster is an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also capital of the local government region Münsterland...
)- German elements in two permanent battalions and one staff company
- Multinational Corps Northeast (StettinSzczecinSzczecin , is the capital city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in Poland. It is the country's seventh-largest city and the largest seaport in Poland on the Baltic Sea. As of June 2009 the population was 406,427....
)- German elements of the staff
- 13th Mechanized Infantry Division13th Mechanized Infantry Division (Germany)The 13th Mechanized Infantry Division is a mechanized division of the German Army.Its staff is based at Leipzig...
when required for the Danish-Polish-German Corps