Germany Ausbildungsstützpunkt Gebirgs- und Winterkampf

Germany

Training Camp Mountain- and Wintercombat
82481 Mittenwald

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Historical Overview

1914 – 1945: Use of the Mittenwald area for exercise of snow shoe troops and mountain infantry units due to its convenient location directly at the foot of the Karwendel mountains.

1956: Establishment of the Mountain and Winter Warfare School at the Luttsensee Barracks in Mittenwald.

1958: Beginning of training activities.

1992: Relocation of the Mountain and Winter Warfare School from the Luttensee Barracks to the Karwendel Barracks in Mittenwald.

The Luttensee Barracks is now used by the German Military Forces as a bivouac site and training facility.

2000: The Infantry Training Centre in Hammelburg takes command of the Mountain and Winter Warfare School.

Training Facts

The mission of the Mountain and Winter Warfare School is the conduct of training for German and European service personnel. This pertains especially to the key training courses for Army mountain guides, Army high mountain specialists and snipers in alpine terrain.

Overall, 43 different types of training courses are offered and about 1.000 soldiers attend these courses every year with approximately 90 soldiers as instructors.

The training is divided into theoretical and practical lessons in order to convey profound alpine knowledge, combat essential in mountain operations. Particular emphasis is placed in the continuous updating of didactic and technical equipment to provide training of the highest quality.

Apart from basic theoretical and practice-oriented alpine knowledge and skills for military operations, the Mountain and Winter Warfare School also imparts career enhancing prerequisites, such as fitness, strength of character, physical challenges and commitment. Flexibility and adaptability in difficult terrain are trained and further developed to safely conduct operations even under extreme conditions. Personnel conducting alpine operations must be able to fight and prevail at any time. All training courses are consistently focused on operations. This is to enable soldiers to act at their own discretion in a responsible and prudent way as a capable team member. Physical robustness is promoted as well as mental strength and leadership capability.

Leadership in the Mountains

Army mountain guide training enables servicemen and women to safely conduct military operations and all related measures and subordinate tasks in mountainous terrain. This includes advising commanders on planning and conduct of operations, assessment of the terrain and of developing weather conditions as well as logistic and security measures.

Tasks of the Army mountain guide include but are not limited to:

  • Advise commanding officers/superiors on planning, preparation and execution of mountain operations and participate in the command and control procedure.
  • Direct operational training as well as regular mountain training in accordance with the Troop Training Directive.
  • Lead soldiers under all environmental and weather conditions with military equipment in operations.
  • Lead rescue missions, e.g. in facilitating missions as an Army air rescuer.
  • Setting up passable routes for troops to use in operations in difficult terrain, including specialized avalanche blasting.
  • Lead and train qualified mountain training courses up to the high mountain specialist level.

Our Vision

The Mountain and Winter Warfare School strives to further harmonize and develop international cooperation together with the Association of Military Mountain Schools.