Wachbataillon

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Wachbataillon (full name: "Wachbataillon beim Bundesministerium der Verteidigung (WachBtl BMVg)" (Guard battalion at the Ministry of Defence)) 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 garrisons in Berlin and Siegburg. It consists of eight companies (see list below) and belongs to the "Streitkräftebasis" (Joint Service Support Command) of the Bundeswehr. The soldiers of the Wachbataillon have the uniforms of all three German forces (i.e. Army, Navy and Air Force) at their disposal to be able to perform any drill mission on every occasion. About 80% of Wachbatallion´s personnel are conscripts.

The primary mission of the Wachbataillon is to perform the military honors for the German president, the German Chancellor, the Federal Minister of Defence and the Inspector General of the Bundeswehr during state vists or on comparable occasions. Beside that 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 in the night of October 26, 2005) or takes part at military shows with its drill team which is the best trained special unit of the battalion. A secondary mission is to guard the members of the German government and the Ministry of Defence at wartimes. As a direct attack on Germany is no longer an urgent threat since the end of the Cold War, that mission got more and more obsolescent.

For reasons of tradition the Wachbataillon is the only unit of the Bundeswehr still using the Kar98k because the traditional Prussian rifle drills can be executed better with that historical weapon. During normal day duty the battalion uses the G36 rifle like the other units of the Bundeswehr. The 8th company is the last unit in the Bundeswehr using the Feldhaubitze 105mm in the role of a salute gun.

The silent drill team of The Citadel, The Summerall Guards, models its own routine after Wachbataillon's.

[edit] List of Wachbataillon´s companies

Company	Duty of company	stationed in
1./WachBtl BMVg	Staff company	Berlin
2./WachBtl BMVg	Drill- and guard company	Berlin
3./WachBtl BMVg	Drill- and guard company	Siegburg
4./WachBtl BMVg	Drill- and guard company	Berlin
5./WachBtl BMVg	Drill- and guard company	Berlin
6./WachBtl BMVg	Drill- and guard company	Siegburg
7./WachBtl BMVg	Drill- and guard company	Berlin
8./WachBtl BMVg	Guard company	Berlin
9./WachBtl BMVg	(wartime only; Field reserve unit)

[edit] Weblinks

Video of the Wachbataillon presenting arms to honor the german national anthem

Official information site about the Wachbataillon (German)

Picture galleries of the Wachbataillon (German)

Bundeswehr (Military of Germany)
Heer (Army) | Marine (Navy) | Luftwaffe (Air force) Zentraler Sanitätsdienst (Central Medical Services) | Streitkräftebasis (Joint Service Support Command)