German Army

Should the German army play a bigger role in world affairs?

As their military prowess is second to none, should they be asked to give more assistance to the beleaguered western
allies?

Second to the US perhaps. We’ve kicked their butts twice, and we could do it again.

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Who Are The German Special Forces?

The German Special Forces are called the Kommando Spezialkrafte or the Special Forces Command KSK. The KSK is organized under the German Army Special Operations Division and is a special forces division that is modeled after the British SAS.

Their History

The KSK began in 1996 in Germany and was active in West Germany before the fall of the Berlin Wall. Since 1997, all
special forces
of the German Army have been merged into the KSK.

How To Become A Member Of The KSK

While at first only officers, both commissioned and non-commissioned could be part of the KSK, the application rules have changed. Enlisted personnel as well as civilians can apply to become members of the KSK.

KSK Training

There are two phases to selection that include fitness as well as psychological testing, of which only 50 percent of those who enlist in the KSK pass. The second phase is three month long testing of endurance that only has a 10 percent pass rate at the most. This training consists of escape, evasion, combat and survival skills. Those who pass this test receive either two or three years training all over the world to become fully fledged members of the KSK.

What Are They Best At?

They are best at insurgency, counter insurgency, anti terrorism, covert operations, airborne operations and hostage rescue operations as well as unconventional warfare tactics.

Weapons Of The KSK

There is a long range of weaponry used by the KSK that includes H & K pistols, UCP, sub-machine guns, assault rifles, grenade launchers and sniper rifles as well as All Purpose machine guns. G22 sniper rifles are used as well as the Rheinmetall MG 3 General Purpose machine gun. They use Mercedes Benz G Class utility vehicles and HALO equipment as well.

Known Missions

Some of the known missions of the KSK include deployment in Kosovo, Bosnia, Herzegovina and Afghanistan. Most of the missions of the KSK are classified.

Units

The KSK is comprised of several platoon units. The 1st Platoon is for land insertions, the 2nd platoon is for airborne operations, the 3rd platoon is for amphibious operations, the 4th platoon consists of operations in special areas such as mountains or polar areas, the 5th platoon is a sniper platoon. There are four squads to each platoon that include medical personnel, weapons experts and combat engineers.

Are They Professional Soldiers?

Although civilians can enlist to be part of the KSK, those who make it into this elite squad are professional soldiers and are paid for their efforts. Most of those who make it into the KSK remain active in the German military.
About the Author

This Article is written by James Kara Murat from USNavySealStore.com, the contributor of US Navy Seal Store. More information on the subject is at Who Are The German Special Forces?, and related resources can be found at US Navy Seal Information Portal.