Image: (APA/GEORG HOCHMUTH)
On Tuesday, 85 soldiers from the “Austrian Forces Disaster Relief Unit” (AFDRU) will leave for Turkey to rescue people who have been buried there. After approval by the EU, the reconnaissance team from Linz-Hörsching set off in the morning, more equipment will be loaded at Vienna-Schwechat Airport in the morning and the remaining forces will take off in the afternoon.
“The rapid deployment capability of our soldiers shows how important it is to have experts with the necessary know-how and the necessary material available to deal with extreme situations,” said Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner (ÖVP). The consequences in Turkey and Syria are devastating and many people are still buried under the rubble.
“It is important for us to help where helping hands are urgently needed.” The army would therefore help, together with volunteers and the local rescue organizations in the search for buried people. “I wish all soldiers and civil servants a lot of strength for this challenging mission. Come home safely!”
According to current plans, the disaster relief operation is scheduled for around ten days. The AFDRU Disaster Response Element is structured so that three rescue and recovery groups can be deployed at two separate search locations. Medical, logistics and hygiene experts from the Armed Forces support the rescuers in their mission.
The “Austrian Forces Disaster Relief Unit” is the disaster relief element for “Urban Search and Rescue” (USAR) of the Austrian Armed Forces. AFDRU was founded in 1990 based on the experience gained in international disaster relief operations at home and abroad and has been directly and indirectly involved in many operations since 1997, according to the Ministry of Defense. The contingent consists of a command, a supply and an operational element.
AFDRU is only set up when necessary from volunteers from the active and militia ranks and is supplemented if necessary by civilian specialists, such as rescue dog handlers. The responsibility for setting up and forming AFDRU lies with the command of the NBC Defense School in Korneuburg.
Source: Nachrichten
