Jægerkorpset
Encyclopedia
The Jaeger Corps is the special forces
unit of the Royal Danish Army
stationed at Aalborg Air Base
.
with a brass emblem depicting a hunter's bugle on a black felt liner. The beret is issued after completion of an 16 week selection course. After one year of additional satisfactory service and training in JGK the wearer is issued the shoulder patch "JÆGER" and may call himself by this name.
Jægerkorpset is composed of around 150 highly-trained soldiers with special expertise in counter-terrorism
, demolition
s, parachuting
, and combat swimming, HAHO and HALO parachuting, infiltration, sabotage
, reconnaissance
and more. The corps regularly trains with similar units from different countries, such as the Navy SEALS
, British SAS
and the Danish naval special forces group, the Frogmen
. The corps is based on the structure and modus operandi
of the British SAS.
Their slogan, which is Latin, "Plus esse, quam simultatur" translates to "Mere at være, end at synes" ("More to be, than to seem") in Danish, meaning that the soldier's capabilities do not have to be widely recognized or boasted - they are only more effective if unknown.
, Bosnia as a counter-sniper reconnaissance
team.
As part of Task Force K-Bar
, the Hunter Corps was awarded "The Presidential Unit citation" on December 7, 2004 for its effort as part of the joint-forces special forces group in Afghanistan.
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
unit of the Royal Danish Army
Royal Danish Army
The Royal Danish Army is the land warfare branch of the Danish Defence Forces, together with the Danish Home Guard.For the last decade, the Royal Danish Army has undergone a massive transformation of structures, equipment and training methods, abandoning its traditional role of anti-invasion...
stationed at Aalborg Air Base
Aalborg Air Base
Aalborg Air Base is a military base for the Danish Air Force . It is located near Aalborg, Denmark.Aalborg Air Base shares its runway system as well as some services with Aalborg Lufthavn.Residing Royal Danish Air Force units are:...
.
Insignia and status
Jægerkorpset wears the maroon beretMaroon beret
The maroon beret is a military beret and has been an international symbol of elite airborne forces since it was chosen for British airborne forces in World War II. This distinctive head dress was officially introduced in 1942, at the direction of General Frederick Browning, commander of the British...
with a brass emblem depicting a hunter's bugle on a black felt liner. The beret is issued after completion of an 16 week selection course. After one year of additional satisfactory service and training in JGK the wearer is issued the shoulder patch "JÆGER" and may call himself by this name.
Jægerkorpset is composed of around 150 highly-trained soldiers with special expertise in counter-terrorism
Counter-terrorism
Counter-terrorism is the practices, tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, militaries, police departments and corporations adopt to prevent or in response to terrorist threats and/or acts, both real and imputed.The tactic of terrorism is available to insurgents and governments...
, demolition
Demolition
Demolition is the tearing-down of buildings and other structures, the opposite of construction. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking a building apart while carefully preserving valuable elements for re-use....
s, parachuting
Parachuting
Parachuting, also known as skydiving, is the action of exiting an aircraft and returning to earth with the aid of a parachute. It may or may not involve a certain amount of free-fall, a time during which the parachute has not been deployed and the body gradually accelerates to terminal...
, and combat swimming, HAHO and HALO parachuting, infiltration, sabotage
Sabotage
Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening another entity through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. In a workplace setting, sabotage is the conscious withdrawal of efficiency generally directed at causing some change in workplace conditions. One who engages in sabotage is...
, reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
and more. The corps regularly trains with similar units from different countries, such as the Navy SEALS
United States Navy SEALs
The United States Navy's Sea, Air and Land Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's principal special operations force and a part of the Naval Special Warfare Command as well as the maritime component of the United States Special Operations Command.The acronym is derived from their...
, British SAS
Special Air Service
Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
and the Danish naval special forces group, the Frogmen
Danish Frogman Corps
The Danish Frogman Corps is an elite special forces frogman corps in the Royal Danish Navy.This corps was set up on June 17, 1957 based on the model of the British SBS...
. The corps is based on the structure and modus operandi
Modus operandi
Modus operandi is a Latin phrase, approximately translated as "mode of operation". The term is used to describe someone's habits or manner of working, their method of operating or functioning...
of the British SAS.
Their slogan, which is Latin, "Plus esse, quam simultatur" translates to "Mere at være, end at synes" ("More to be, than to seem") in Danish, meaning that the soldier's capabilities do not have to be widely recognized or boasted - they are only more effective if unknown.
History
The first incarnation of the corps was formed in 1785 as Jægercorpser i Sielland (The Hunter Corps of Zealand) and existed in various forms until it was remade in its current form in 1961. The Danish Hunter Corps has trained a total of 362 soldiers from its inception in 1961 until 2009. In the year 1995, the Hunter Corps was deployed for the first time. A six man team was sent to SarajevoSarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
, Bosnia as a counter-sniper reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
team.
As part of Task Force K-Bar
Task Force K-Bar
Composed of the Special Forces from eight nations, Task Force K-Bar represented one of the first ground assault teams in the US-led invasion of Afghanistan from October 2001 until April 2002....
, the Hunter Corps was awarded "The Presidential Unit citation" on December 7, 2004 for its effort as part of the joint-forces special forces group in Afghanistan.
Selection and Training
The selection course to become a Jægersoldat (a member of Jægerkorpset) is very demanding, both mentally and physically. For a candidate to be accepted into the corps, he must complete the following:- Pre-course 1 (5 days)
- Introduces the candidate to the subjects covered in the patrol course, and gives the candidate a feel for what he must get better at. (Orienteering, swimming, etc.)
- Pre-course 2 (2 days)
- More training and evaluation in the above covered subjects.
- Pre-course 3 (2 days)
- More training and evaluation in the above covered subjects with tougher requirements.
- Patrol Course (8 weeks)
- Basic patrol skills. This course must be completed at a satisfactory level to continue the aspirant course.
- Aspirant Course (6 weeks)
- Very demanding course teaching the candidate the physical limits of himself and his patrol. If passed the candidate is awarded his “bugle” for the beret.
- Basic parachuting course (2 weeks)
- Combat Swimming Course (2 weeks)
- If completed the maroon beret is awarded.