Federal Army: 160 new recruits sworn in

On Friday, February 16, 2024, the ceremonial swearing-in of 160 recruits, including one woman, from the 33rd Jäger Battalion took place in front of the castle in the market town of Rohrau. Colonel Rupert Hütter, commander of the 33rd Jäger Battalion, was pleased to welcome Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner to the ceremonial swearing in of the young soldiers.

“It was a very special pleasure for me to be able to attend this worthy swearing-in ceremony at this historic location. By taking the oath, our basic military servants take responsibility for themselves and the armed forces and are the basis of our army. Making the basic military service and the militia more attractive is therefore not only part of our government program, but is essential for a modern and sustainable federal army. For the Federal Army, protecting the state of Austria has priority, as does protecting its population, protecting our neutrality and, above all, protecting all of us. And the armed forces are our security guarantee. I wish the sworn young soldiers all the best for the future, an exciting period of service and good luck as soldiers,” said Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner.

The 160 sworn recruits said their pledge of loyalty in front of Rohrau Castle. Against the impressive backdrop of the late Baroque castle in Joseph Haydn's birthplace and in the presence of their relatives, the ceremony was an unforgettable experience for the young soldiers. They have successfully completed their basic training in the past few weeks and are now ready to serve Austria and its population in a wide variety of functions. The swearing-in ceremony was accompanied musically by the Lower Austrian military band, which played a concert before the ceremony and ended the swearing-in ceremony with the “Great Austrian tattoo”.

The 33rd Jäger Battalion

The Jägerbataillon 33 is an armored hunter unit of the Austrian Federal Army. The battalion is stationed in the Burstyn barracks in Zwölfaxing, Lower Austria. The Jägerbataillon 33 is subordinate to the 3rd Jägerbrigade (“Rapid Forces Brigade”). The 3rd Hunter Brigade is quickly available and its soldiers are specialized in operations in urban terrain.