__NOTOC__ Airmobile Operations Division (''Division Luftbewegliche Operationen'') was a division of the

German Army The German Army (, "army") is the land component of the armed forces of Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German ''Bundeswehr'' together with the ''Marine'' (German Navy) and the ''Luftwaf ...

. The division was founded on 1 July 2002 and reported for duty 8 October 2002. Airmobile Operations Division consisted of approximately 14,500 soldiers, 350 of which were stationed at divisionary headquarters in

Veitshöchheim Veitshöchheim is a municipality in the district of Würzburg, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the Main, northwest of Würzburg. Veitshöchheim has a population just under 10,000. It includes two villages: Veitshöchheim ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. In October 2011 the German

Federal Ministry of Defence The Federal Ministry of Defence (german: Bundesministerium der Verteidigung, ), abbreviated BMVg, is a top-level federal agency, headed by the Federal Minister of Defence as a member of the Cabinet of Germany. The ministry is headquartered at ...

announced a reorganisation/reduction of the German Armed Forces. As a consequence, Airmobile Operations Division was dissolved and those units not being disbanded altogether were either transferred to other parts of the armed forces or incorporated into a different command structure. The division itself was officially disbanded on 26 June 2014 and was integrated into the 10th Armoured Division which relocated from

Sigmaringen Sigmaringen (Swabian German, Swabian: ''Semmerenga'') is a town in southern Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg. Situated on the upper Danube, it is the capital of the Sigmaringen (district), Sigmaringen district. Sigmaringen is renowne ...

to Veitshöchheim.

Tasks

The tasks of the division were unique within the modern German military in that it was able to provide air mobility as well as ground-based fire support, aerial defence and counter

chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defence (CBRN defence) are protective measures taken in situations in which chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear warfare (including terrorism) hazards may be present. CBRN defence consis ...

assets to all parts of the German military. With an additional infantry component, it was also capable of limited air assault operations. The division's command was prepared to fulfil a role as Framework Headquarters for

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

and EU operations. Troops of Airmobile Operations Division also render assistance to civilian authorities during disaster relief operations.

Coat of arms and motto

The

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...

of Airmobile Operations Division depicts a flying black

eagle Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just ...

, with its wings turned upright, holding a sword in its claws on a

argent In heraldry, argent () is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it. In engravings and line drawings, regions to b ...

. Below the eagle a red arrow is shown. The argent symbolises dedication and the eagle strength, courage and bravery. The eagle's upturned wings, somewhat unusual in

heraldry Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known branch ...

, represent the lunging out for new power. The sword stands for strike capability and penetration depth. The red arrow illustrates the third dimension, the depth of space and the dynamics of the division. The framing silver cord shows the status as a division. The

maroon Maroon ( US/ UK , Australia ) is a brownish crimson color that takes its name from the French word ''marron'', or chestnut. "Marron" is also one of the French translations for "brown". According to multiple dictionaries, there are var ...

coloured seam corresponds with the traditional

beret A beret ( or ; ; eu, txapela, ) is a soft, round, flat-crowned cap, usually of woven, hand-knitted wool, crocheted cotton, wool felt, or acrylic fibre. Mass production of berets began in 19th century France and Spain, and the beret remains ...

colour of the Army Aviation Corps and

airborne forces Airborne forces, airborne troops, or airborne infantry are ground combat units carried by aircraft and airdropped into battle zones, typically by parachute drop or air assault. Parachute-qualified infantry and support personnel serving in ai ...

. The division's motto was the same as the

German Army Aviation Corps The German Army Aviation Corps (german: Heeresfliegertruppe) is a special unit within the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr). The German Army Aviation Corps is a branch of the German Army (''Heer''), containing all its helicopter units. The German ...

': ''Nach vorn!'' which translates as either "Forward!" or "To the front!".

Deployment

Units of Airmobile Operations Division were deployed in a number of missions under the aegis of either the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

, the European Union or NATO. *

SFOR The Stabilisation Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina (SFOR) was a NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force deployed to Bosnia and Herzegovina after the Bosnian war. Although SFOR was led by NATO, several non-NATO countries contributed troops. It ...

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...

(ended 2003) *

KFOR KFOR may refer to: * KFOR (AM), a radio station (1240 AM) licensed to Lincoln, Nebraska, United States * KFOR-TV, a television station (channel 4 analog/27 digital) licensed to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States * KFOR-TV (Nebraska), a defunct ...

(ended 2003) *

Disaster relief Emergency management or disaster management is the managerial function charged with creating the framework within which communities reduce vulnerability to hazards and cope with disasters. Emergency management, despite its name, does not actuall ...

following the earthquake in Kashmir,

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

(2005-2006)) *

EUFOR RD Congo European Union Force RD Congo, commonly referred as EUFOR RD Congo, was a European Union deployment in 2006 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. On 25 April 2006, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 1671 (2006), authorisi ...

in the

Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...

(2006) *

ISAF ' ps, کمک او همکاري ' , allies = Afghanistan , opponents = Taliban Al-Qaeda , commander1 = , commander1_label = Commander , commander2 = , commander2_label = , commander3 = , command ...

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

(from 2002)

Structure

Airmobile Operations Division's staff was based at Veitshöchheim. The division incorporated units from various branches of the German Army. These units were stationed all over Southern and Central parts of

. The following units were directly subordinate to Airmobile Operations Division: The following units were subordinate to Airmobile Brigade 1:

Commanders

Equipment

Armoured Vehicles

* Light air-transportable

armoured fighting vehicle An armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) is an armed combat vehicle protected by armour, generally combining operational mobility with offensive and defensive capabilities. AFVs can be wheeled or tracked. Examples of AFVs are tanks, armoured car ...

Wiesel 1 and Wiesel 2 * Air-transportable, armoured multirole transport vehicle Mungo * Anti-aircraft cannon tank Gepard *

Surface-to-air missile A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-aircraft syst ...

light armoured tank Ozelot * Armoured Howitzer 2000

Helicopters

* Light

transport helicopter A military transport aircraft, military cargo aircraft or airlifter is a military-owned transport aircraft used to support military operations by airlifting troops and military equipment. Transport aircraft are crucial to maintaining supply l ...

Bell UH-1D * Medium transport helicopter Sikorsky CH-53 G/GS * Light anti-tank helicopter Bo 105P/PAH-1A1 * Light liaison- and reconnaissance helicopter Bo 105 P1M *

Attack helicopter An attack helicopter is an armed helicopter with the primary role of an attack aircraft, with the offensive capability of engaging ground targets such as enemy infantry, military vehicles and fortifications. Due to their heavy armament they ...

Tiger The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus '' Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on u ...

* Medium transport helicopter

NH-90 The NHIndustries NH90 is a medium-sized, twin-engine, multi-role military helicopter. It was developed in response to NATO requirements for a battlefield helicopter which would also be capable of being operated in naval environments. The NH90 ...

File:Panzer Wiesel 1.jpg, Light armoured fighting vehicle Wiesel 1 File:Ozelot.jpg, Surface-to-air missile light armoured tank Ozelot File:MungoBW.jpg, Transport vehicle Mungo in Afghanistan File:Gepard 1a2 overview.jpg, Anti-aircraft cannon tank Gepard File:PzH2000 houwitser.jpg, Armoured Howitzer 2000 File:Bell UH-1D 06.jpg, Bell UH-1D File:Bolkow Bo 105 1.jpg, Bo 105 PAH-1 File:Eurocopter Tiger 2.jpg, Eurocopter Tiger File:84+34 German Army CH-53 ILA 2012 01.jpg, CH-53G File:NH-90 ILA-2006 2.jpg, NH-90