The Center is part of the Mountain Infantry
Brigade 23 in Bad Reichenhall, Germany, and is the only one of its kind in the
entire German armed forces. Nowhere else are mules kept to provide logistic
support to the troops, moving materiel through rough to extreme terrain. The
Center also boasts a mounted platoon with Haflinger horses focusing on
reconnaissance tasks.
"This is the first time a pack animal unit
is participating in such a large exercise at NATO level. It will be a great
opportunity to demonstrate our unique capabilities, especially to our NATO
partners," says Lieutenant Colonel, Veterinary Corps, Dr. Franz von Rennenkampff,
who is the head of the Pack Animal Center. His focus is on gathering as much
experience as possible in multinational cooperation and for future operations.
The soldiers from Bad Reichenhall will spend
over a month in Spain, supporting the Mountain Task Force 233 consisting of
infantry, engineers, reconnaissance and logistic support. The journey to
Zaragoza is about 1,800 kilometers, and will be completed in several stages.
The animals will travel in a specially designed container that has been
tailored to their needs.
While the Spanish army will take care of
delivering the feed, LTC (VC) Dr. von Rennenkampff himself will provide all
medical care; until mid-November when it is time to return home.
Text: Simon Hofmann
Photo: Bundeswehr
Dani Vázquez
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