The Bundesheer, the modern Austrian Army.

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Found some patches of the ÖBH ( Österreichisches Bundesheer / Austrian Armed Forces) by accident.

Are there any collectors here in the WRF who are more concerned with these patches?
Are there any rarer items?

Thanks in advance,
R.

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Years ago, my son was an active soldier in Kosovo as part of NATO.
Back then with his airborne battalion.

At the moment he is back in Kosovo with the militia and is supporting his "old" battalion with the militia.

He now knows the operational area and has also seen "old" comrades from the airborne battalion again.

Years ago, when my son completed his training in the airborne battalion, I gave him a replica US M3 combat knife.
He actually used it back then and has it again this time as a "private weapon" in the area of operations.

I personally really like the new Austrian camouflage uniform.
I believe that Austria and Israel were the last armies to wear monochromatic combat uniforms.

Also interesting is the "Pandur" Mannschaftstransportpanzer (MTPz) / Pandur armored personnel carrier with which the Austrian contingent in Kosovo is equipped.

Another photo shows a roadblock on a Kosovar country road with a clear warning...


By the way, the airborne soldier wearing the black boots is my son.

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The 48th KFOR mission is currently in Kosovo.
The militia was replaced by a guard company, my son has extended his deployment and will remain in the Kosovo operational area until October.
Auslandseinsatz mit der 5.Gardekompanie (KPE) - Osterreichs Garde

My son brought me some souvenirs while on vacation.
On the one hand a disused, weathered, frayed flag which hung in the camp and has now been replaced by a new one.
The dimensions: approx. 145 x 90 cm

Furthermore, the soldiers in the Kosovo can have various patches made privately in "small series".
That means they are hard to come by because nobody likes to give them away.

Here in the thread you can see two patches on which St. Barbara in a "sexy outfit" is sitting on a mortar shell and floating on a parachute to earth.
Also these patches are not official.

In the operation area, St. Barbara was tried again, this time sitting on a bomb.
Also made here in small series.

The round patch with a red border and the ancient Greek letters have also been made in a small edition by soldiers in the operational area.
In imitation of KFOR patrols around the medieval Serbian Orthodox monastery of Visoki Dečani (Dečani for short) to protect the monastery itself and the visitors, as well as tourists who come there.
The monastery is located above the town of Dečani/Deçan, 17 km south of Peć/Peja.

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My son can also be seen in this picture.
Easily recognizable by the color of his beret, the only former "25" / "Tewnty-Five" left in Kosovo at the moment.

My son was a member of the airborne troops of the Austrian Armed Forces for several years and was also stationed in Kosovo.
This is now his second assignment there and he began serving there after retiring from his former battalion with the militia to bolster his former battalion.

The guard replaced the "25" and my son is extending his assignment and continues to wear the beret in the colors of the airborne battalion, the Jägerbataillon 25 .

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DANCON MARCH
1st JULY 2023

Certificate, medal, medal bar, registration card and a postcard:

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Other patches that my son brought me from his assignment abroad.
Some of these patches were and are issued, but could and can also be "privately procured".

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Here is a certificate certifying that a soldier on deployment abroad took part in CRC training / crowd and riot control.

A so-called FIRE PHOBIA TRAINING

As far as I know, this training is a basic requirement for an ÖBH soldier to be sent to a crisis area in which (in addition to military) "civil" resistance must also be expected!

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Here is a personal EINLADUNG ZUR LETZTEN BEFÖRDERUNG / "invitation to the last promotion" to a member of the ÖBH of a contingent in Kosovo:

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Here is a personal "invitation to the last promotion" (Einladung zur letzten Beförderung) to a member of the ÖBH of a contingent in Kosovo.

Is a KDOGRKDT (Kommandogruppenkommandant / command group commander) actually a rank of the ÖBH, (Österreichissches Bundesheer),or is this a "commanding group commander" / platoon leader in the lower team rank? ...

I have never heard of a "Kommandierender Gruppenkommandant" in the Austrian Bundesheer ever ! ...






Is a command group commander actually a rank of the ÖBH, or is this a "commanding group commander" platoon leader in the lower team rank? ...

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Hiermit lade ich
...
zum gegebenen Anlass ein.
Hochachtungsvoll und mit kameradschaftlichen Grüßen
Der KdoGrpKdt


I hereby invite
...
for the given occasion.
Sincerely and with comradely greetings
The KdoGrpKdt