Rapid Forces Division

Rapid Forces Division
German: Division Schnelle Kräfte
Division Schnelle Kräfte Shoulder Insignia
Active
  • 1956–1994, 1994–2001
  • 2001–present (DSK since 1 January 2014)
Country Germany
 Netherlands (since 2014)
Allegiance Germany
BranchArmy
TypeRapid deployment force
Special forces
Size
  • 9,500 German
  • 2,300 Dutch
Part ofGerman Army
Garrison/HQStadtallendorf
Motto(s)Ready for action, at any time, worldwide!
Einsatzbereit, jederzeit, weltweit!
AnniversariesApril 1, 2001
EngagementsSomalian Civil War
Bosnian Civil War
1997 Albanian civil unrest
Kosovo War
Afghanistan War
Congolese Civil War
Commanders
Current
commander
Major General Dirk Faust
Notable
commanders
Lieutenant General Hans-Otto Budde
Lieutenant General Jörg Vollmer

The Rapid Forces Division (German: Division Schnelle Kräfte), formerly Special Operations Division (Division Spezielle Operationen), is an airborne division of the German Army that was activated in 2001 and received its current designation in 2014.

Its headquarters staff is based at Stadtallendorf. It was created as 1st Airborne Division (1. Luftlandedivision) in 1956 and reflagged twice in 1994 and 2001 as Airmobile Forces Command/4th Division (Kommando Luftbewegliche Kräfte/4. Division), Special Operations Division and eventually Rapid Forces Division. The division leads three combat brigades and special forces troops, all of which are fully air-mobile.

In June 2014, the Dutch 11th Air Mobile Brigade was fully integrated into the division as part of the binational military cooperation between Germany and the Netherlands and in 2017 the Romanian 81st Mechanized Brigade followed suit.[1]

  1. ^ "Germany, Romania and the Czech Republic deepen defence ties". NATO. Retrieved 23 May 2017.