Feldjäger
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Feldjäger are the military police of the German Bundeswehr, Germany's armed forces. The term Feldjäger ("field rifleman" or "field hunter") has a long tradition and dates back to the mid-17th century. Their motto is Suum Cuique (Latin: "To each his own", derived from Cicero, De Finibus, Bonorum et Malorum, liber V, 67: "(...) ut fortitudo in laboribus periculisque cernatur, (...), iustitia in suo cuique tribuendo.").
The Feldjäger corps serves all component forces of the German Federal Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) i.e., Army, Navy, Air Force, Medical Corps and Joint Support Service, under the command of the Joint Support Command in Cologne.
The 30 Feldjäger MP Stations located throughout Germany work around the clock to perform the Feldjägers’ main mission which is to be a central point of contact for all soldiers who need assistance. There is a nationwide emergency phone number (01803-90 9999) so Bundeswehr soldiers can contact their nearest Feldjäger station at any time.
The Feldjäger also have four more missions: Maintaining military discipline and order, military traffic control, security operations and investigations.
To maintain military discipline, the Feldjäger perform regular patrols on-post and at places where Bundeswehr personnel congregate. They also patrol at large military events, conduct checks in military installations, support the military courts of justice, assist in collecting and returning stragglers and apprehended soldiers, and assist in collecting and transporting prisoners of war.
When directing and controlling military traffic, Feldjäger work closely with the civilian police to improve traffic safety and protect soldiers. Feldjäger traffic missions therefore include route reconnaissance and marking of convoy routes, preparing reports on road accidents with Bundeswehr involvement, directing and controlling military traffic, escorting military oversize or hazardous material vehicles, assisting with the planning and supervision of military traffic, safety checks on military hazardous material vehicles, and setting up military traffic networks.
Feldjäger security operations prevent crimes against the German Federal Armed Forces and prevent illegal disturbances of official Bundeswehr ceremonies. In addition, Feldjäger can be tasked to protect allied armed forces and provide personal security protection for high-risk Bundeswehr officials. They also secure the command posts of large units, escort VIPs, safeguard conferences and exhibitions, secure military property, assist commanders in physical security matters, and perform riot control missions.
Investigations and inquiries are another focus of the Feldjäger. These range from reporting serious accidents, analyzing matters of official interest, assisting in the investigation of military offenses, and searching for deserters. The Feldjäger corps also has military working dog teams. The dogs are first trained to be patrol dogs and then as sniffer dogs at the Bundeswehr MWD school in Koblenz. Their teams assist in the search for explosives and drugs.
On overseas deployments, Feldjäger support the respective contingent by performing military police tasks. They are frequently employed in multinational military police units and not only monitor the behavior of German soldiers in the area of operations, they also cooperate closely with local authorities, police, organizations, or the military police of other states under the Charter of the United Nations. House searches for illegal weapons and explosives are the day-to-day business in foreign deployments. One mission only performed overseas, for example, is the airport security and border clearance mission.
To be able to conduct these varied and challenging missions, Feldjäger soldiers are sent to numerous training courses at the Feldjäger School in Sonthofen or to specialist courses with the civilian police. One course that all Feldjäger must complete is the proficiency test in English, which makes them excellent liaison officers when dealing with other MP forces.
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| Heer (Army) | Marine (Navy) | Luftwaffe (Air force) Zentraler Sanitätsdienst (Central Medical Services)| Streitkräftebasis (Joint Service Support Command) |
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