The 71st Airmobile Brigade "

Pontus Pontus or Pontos may refer to: * Short Latin name for the Pontus Euxinus, the Greek name for the Black Sea (aka the Euxine sea) * Pontus (mythology), a sea god in Greek mythology * Pontus (region), on the southern coast of the Black Sea, in modern ...

" ( el, 71η Αερομεταφερόμενη Ταξιαρχία «Πόντος», 71 A/M ΤΑΞ) is an

airmobile Air assault is the movement of ground-based military forces by vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft—such as the helicopter—to seize and hold key terrain which has not been fully secured, and to directly engage enemy forces behind ...

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. B ...

of the

Hellenic Army The Hellenic Army ( el, Ελληνικός Στρατός, Ellinikós Stratós, sometimes abbreviated as ΕΣ), formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece. The term ''Hellenic'' is the endogenous synonym for ''Greek''. The Hellenic Army is th ...

. The brigade was established after the reorganization of the 71st Infantry Brigade to an air assault formation. Members of the Brigade wear the red beret. It is a part of the NATO Response Force (NRF) and of the HELBROC BG.

History

The 71st Infantry Regiment was established in

Drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has b ...

on 28 October 1940 and took part in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

along the borders of Bulgaria. During the

German invasion German invasion may refer to: Pre-1900s * German invasion of Hungary (1063) World War I * German invasion of Belgium (1914) * German invasion of Luxembourg (1914) World War II * Invasion of Poland * German invasion of Belgium (1940) * G ...

in 1941 the regiment was based in the sector of

Paranesti Paranesti ( el, Παρανέστι) is a municipality in the Rhodope Mountains of northeastern Drama regional unit, Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on ...

, where it won numerous engagements against German forces. When the

Axis An axis (plural ''axes'') is an imaginary line around which an object rotates or is symmetrical. Axis may also refer to: Mathematics * Axis of rotation: see rotation around a fixed axis * Axis (mathematics), a designator for a Cartesian-coordinat ...

occupied the country, the Regiment was dissolved. It was reformed on 24 April 1945, after Greece was liberated. In August, 1989 the 71st Infantry Regiment moved to the village of

Nea Santa Nea Santa ( el, Νέα Σάντα, old name Volovot until 1926), is a small town in Kilkis regional unit, in the Central Macedonia region of Greece. It has a population of 1,693 (2011 census). The community Nea Santa (pop. 2,144 in 2011) consists ...

Kilkis Kilkis ( el, Κιλκίς) is a city in Central Macedonia, Greece. As of 2011 there were 22,914 people living in the city proper, 28,745 people living in the municipal unit, and 51,926 in the municipality of Kilkis. It is also the capital city o ...

under the 1st Infantry Division. On August 1993 was reorganized to Brigade with full activation on 1 January 1995. From 1 Jan 1998 was placed under B CORPS as a Rapid Reaction Force. On 27 October 2001 the Brigade was renamed to 71st Airmobile Brigade. By 26 September 2005 was placed under the command of 1st Infantry Division and the Operational control of B CORPS. On 5 October 2009, after the decision of the Higher Military Board of the

Hellenic Army General Staff The Hellenic Army General Staff ( el, Γενικό Επιτελείο Στρατού, abbrev. ΓΕΣ) is the general staff of the Hellenic Army, the terrestrial component of the Greek Armed Forces. It was established in 1904. Since 1950, the HAGS ...

, the 71st Airmobile Brigade was renamed to 71st Airmobile Brigade «PONTOS». The 71st Airmobile Infantry Brigade forms the basis of the Greek-led HELBROC BG, a

Battlegroup of the European Union An EU Battlegroup (EU BG) is a military unit adhering to the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) of the European Union (EU). Often based on contributions from a coalition of Member State of the European Union, member states, each of the ei ...

, composed of units from Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Cyprus and Ukraine. Elements of the Brigade also make up part of the

NATO Response Force The NATO Response Force (NRF) is a high-readiness force comprising land, air, sea and special forces units capable of being deployed quickly. Until February 2022, when NATO activated it in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine,JAMES KITFIEL(1 ...

Emblem and motto

The emblem of the unit shows a falcon with open wings ready to land and two spears, framed by laurel leaves. The falcon is the symbol of dynamic intervention by air in every battle, and the spears are weapons which used in ancient wars. The motto is "On the wings of the winds" ( el, italic=, «Επί πτερύγων ανέμων» , translit="Epí pterígon anémon"). It is inspired from the 103 psalm of

David David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

Structure

71st Airmobile Infantry Brigade (71η Α/Μ ΤΑΞ) based at

( Macedonia) :* HQ Company (ΛΣ/71ης Α/Μ ΤΑΞ) :* 595th Airmobile Infantry Battalion (595ο A/M ΤΠ) :* 596th Airmobile Infantry Battalion (596ο A/M ΤΠ) :* 601st Airmobile Infantry Battalion (601ο A/M ΤΠ) :* 116th Airmobile Artillery Battalion (116η Α/Μ ΜΠΠ) :* 71st Engineer Company (71ος ΛΜΧ) :* 71st Light Air Defence Battery (71η ΠΕΑ/ΑΠ) :* 71st Signal Company (71ος ΛΔΒ) :* 71st Support Battalion (71ο ΤΥΠ)

Training

The units of the 71st Airmobile Infantry Brigade carry out a full cycle of training with emphasis in the following areas. :* Physical Military Training :* Individual Advanced Tactics and advanced weapons training. :* Advanced Shooting Training :* Landmines :* Special Night Training :* Collaboration and Training with helicopters and Cargo planes. :* Airmobile operations in various live exercises. :* Training in Peace support operations and operations in built up areas.

Equipment

:* Assault Rifles - M16 :* Machine Guns -

FN Minimi The FN Minimi (short for french: Mini Mitrailleuse; "mini machine gun") is a Belgian 5.56mm light machine gun/squad automatic weapon developed by Ernest Vervier for FN Herstal. First introduced in the late 1970s, it is now in service in more tha ...

M2HB The M2 machine gun or Browning .50 caliber machine gun (informally, "Ma Deuce") is a heavy machine gun that was designed towards the end of World War I by John Browning. Its design is similar to Browning's earlier M1919 Browning machine gun, wh ...

:* Artillery -

OTO Melara Mod 56 The OTO-Melara Mod 56 is an Italian-made 105 mm pack howitzer built and developed by OTO-Melara. It fires the standard US type M1 ammunition. History The OTO Melara 105 mm Mod 56 began life in the 1950s to meet the requirement for a modern ...

:* Support Weapons -

MILAN Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

, Carl Gustaf, M72 LAW, HAI Mortar 81mm :* Vehicles -

Panhard VBL Panhard was a French motor vehicle manufacturer that began as one of the first makers of automobiles. It was a manufacturer of light tactical and military vehicles. Its final incarnation, now owned by Renault Trucks Defense, was formed ...

:* Helicopters -

UH-1 Iroquois The Bell UH-1 Iroquois (nicknamed "Huey") is a utility helicopter, utility military helicopter designed and produced by the American aerospace company Bell Helicopter. It is the first member of the prolific Bell Huey family, Huey family, as we ...

NHI NH90 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 NH9 ...

CH-47 Chinook The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is a tandem rotor helicopter developed by American rotorcraft company Vertol and manufactured by Boeing Vertol. The Chinook is a heavy-lift helicopter that is among the heaviest lifting Western helicopters. Its name, C ...

(''As operated by 1st Army Aviation Brigade'')

External links

Official Website

Equipment

Hellenic Ministry of Defense - Official Site

Hellenic Army General Staff - Official Site
{{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017 Infantry brigades of Greece Airmobile brigades 1993 establishments in Greece