The time has come: the comrades of the militia are advancing – coronavirus –

The mission of around 2,300 men and women in Austria begins on Monday. Starting in late May, the militiamen will replace the basic soldiers and professional soldiers who are currently deployed.

The one with Vorarlberg
militia soldiers invading the strength of a diminished company
provided by the Vorarlberg Militia Battalion. The militia company is administered
from the company command of the third combat company under the company commander
Lt. Stefan Kaufmann. The remaining soldiers were made up of the group.
Recruitment of the Vorarlberg battalion.

Key and administrative staff have already trained at the Bludescher Walgaukaserne at Hochgebirgs-Jägerbataillon 23, who is responsible for training. The mass of militiamen will continue on Monday May 4, 2020. Upon entering the Walgau Alps, all militiamen undergo a COVID-19 test, which is brought to Salzburg for evaluation the same day.

After a two-week deployment preparation by specially trained professional soldiers from the Hochgebirgs-Jägerbataillon 23, as well as a handover / takeover phase with the Jägerbataillon 17 combat support company from Styria, which is currently in use, they will be the only responsible since May 25, 2020. At the beginning of the deployment, this militia company is administered by the Vorarlberg military command. The expected duration of use is scheduled until the end of July.

The tasks of the militiamen in Vorarlberg are diverse and based on existing orders from the authorities. In principle, the deployment of the soldiers of the Styria Battalion 17, which has already been carried out, will be assumed in its entirety. Most of the soldiers will be on the border with Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Germany, on the one hand to support the police with the activities of the security police and, on the other hand, to support the district authorities in health inspections in border crossings. Some soldiers will also travel as motorized patrols, bicycle or pedestrian lanes between border crossings. Protecting critical infrastructure in Vorarlberg will also be one of the tasks. “The Vorarlberg militiamen receive from the Hochgebirgs-Jägerbataillon 23, in close coordination with the police, the district authorities and the military command, excellent training adapted to this special mission and they will be able to fulfill the required tasks with high quality,” says Military Commander. Brigadier Gunther Hessel.