Hellenic Army 71st Airborne Brigade
Encyclopedia
The 71st Airborne Brigade, or officially, the 71st Airmobile Infantry Brigade , 71 A/M TAX - 71 Aerometaferomeni Taxiarhia Pezikou, is an airmobile infantry
brigade
of the Hellenic Army
. 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.
in October 1940 and took part in World War II along the borders of Bulgaria. During the German invasion in 1941 the regiment was based in the sector of Paranesti
, where it won numerous engagements against German forces. When the Germans occupied the country, the Regiment was dissolved. It was reformed in April 1945, after Greece was liberated.
In August, 1989 the 71st Infantry Brigade moved to the village of Nea Santa
in Kilkis
under the 1st Infantry Division. In January, 1995 it was reorganized as an airmobile Brigade and was placed under II Army Corps
as part of the country's Rapid Reaction Force.
The 71st Airmobile Infantry Brigade forms the basis of the Greek-led HELBROC BG
, a Battlegroup of the European Union, composed of units from Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Cyprus and Slovenia. Elements of the Brigade also make up part of the NATO Response Force
.
operations and combat readiness. The wreath represents the Infantry
Combat Arm.
71st Airmobile Infantry Brigade in Nea Santa
(Macedonia
)
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
of the Hellenic Army
Hellenic Army
The Hellenic Army , formed in 1828, is the land force of Greece.The motto of the Hellenic Army is , "Freedom Stems from Valor", from Thucydides's History of the Peloponnesian War...
. 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.
History
The 71st Infantry Regiment was established in DramaDrama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
in October 1940 and took part in World War II along the borders of Bulgaria. During the German invasion in 1941 the regiment was based in the sector of Paranesti
Paranesti
Paranesti is a municipality in the Rhodope Mountains of northeastern Drama peripheral unit, Greece. It consists of two municipal units: Paranesti and Nikoforos. The largest villages of the municipal unit Paranesti are Paranésti Paranesti is a municipality in the Rhodope Mountains of northeastern...
, where it won numerous engagements against German forces. When the Germans occupied the country, the Regiment was dissolved. It was reformed in April 1945, after Greece was liberated.
In August, 1989 the 71st Infantry Brigade moved to the village of Nea Santa
Nea Santa
Nea Santa , known under the Slavic name Volovot until 1926, is a small town in Kilkis Prefecture, in the Central Macedonia region of Greece. It has a population of 1538 . Nea Santa is south of the city of Kilkis in the Kilkis municipality...
in Kilkis
Kilkis
Kilkis is an industrial city in Central Macedonia, Greece. As of 2001 there were 17,430 people living in the city proper, 24,812 people living in the municipal unit, and 56,336 in the municipality of Kilkis. It is also the capital city of the regional unit of Kilkis.-Name:Kilkis is located in a...
under the 1st Infantry Division. In January, 1995 it was reorganized as an airmobile Brigade and was placed under II Army Corps
Hellenic Army II Army Corps
-Structure:* II Army Corps , based at Veroia, Macedonia which includes**Corps Field and Air Defense Artillery Command and units **Corps Engineer Command and units **489th Signal Battalion...
as part of the country's Rapid Reaction Force.
The 71st Airmobile Infantry Brigade forms the basis of the Greek-led HELBROC BG
Balkan Battlegroup
The Balkan Battlegroup is a European Union battlegroup led by Greece. Originally referred to as HELBROC , it consists of military units from Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Cyprus, and Slovenia.-Coat of arms:The coat of arms bears a white pigeon that brings an olive branch to a flaming globe, with EU...
, a Battlegroup of the European Union, composed of units from Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Cyprus and Slovenia. Elements of the Brigade also make up part of the NATO Response Force
NATO Response Force
The NATO Response Force is a "coherent, high-readiness, joint, multinational force package" of up to 25,000 troops that is "technologically advanced, flexible, deployable, interoperable and sustainable"...
.
Unit Patch
All members of the Brigade wear the unit patch depicting a hawk landing between crossed spears, representative of air assaultAir assault
Air assault is the movement of ground-based military forces by vertical take-off and landing aircraft—such as the helicopter—to seize and hold key terrain which has not been fully secured, and to directly engage enemy forces...
operations and combat readiness. The wreath represents the Infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
Combat Arm.
Structure
71st Airmobile Infantry Brigade in Nea SantaNea Santa
Nea Santa , known under the Slavic name Volovot until 1926, is a small town in Kilkis Prefecture, in the Central Macedonia region of Greece. It has a population of 1538 . Nea Santa is south of the city of Kilkis in the Kilkis municipality...
(Macedonia
Macedonia (Greece)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of Greece in Southern Europe. Macedonia is the largest and second most populous Greek region...
)
- HQ Company (ΛΣ/71ης Α/Μ ΤΑΞ)
- 595th Airmobile Infantry Battalion (595ο A/M ΤΠ)
- 596th Airmobile Infantry Battalion (596ο A/M ΤΠ)
- 601th Airmobile Infantry Battalion (601ο A/M ΤΠ)
- 116th Airmobile Artillery Squadron (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 TYΠ)
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 - M16M16 rifleThe M16 is the United States military designation for the AR-15 rifle adapted for both semi-automatic and full-automatic fire. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 from ArmaLite, and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle. The M16 fires the 5.56×45mm NATO...
, G3Heckler & Koch G3The G3 is a 7.62mm battle rifle developed in the 1950s by the German armament manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH in collaboration with the Spanish state-owned design and development agency CETME ....
, HK11A1 - Machine Guns - MG3Rheinmetall MG3The MG3 is a German general-purpose machine gun chambered for the 7.62x51mm NATO cartridge. The weapon's design is derived from the World War II era MG 42 universal machine gun that fired the 7.92x57mm Mauser round....
, M2HB - Artillery - OTO Melara Mod 56OTO Melara Mod 56The 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:...
- Support Weapons - MILANMILANMILAN " is French and German for "kite bird") is a European anti-tank guided missile. Design of the MILAN started in 1962. It was ready for trials in 1971, and was accepted for service in 1972. It is a wire guided SACLOS missile, which means the sight of the launch unit has to be aimed at the...
, Carl GustafCarl Gustav recoilless rifleThe Carl Gustav is the common name for the 84 mm man-portable reusable multi-role recoilless rifle produced by Saab Bofors Dynamics in Sweden...
, M72 LAWM72 LAWThe M72 LAW is a portable one-shot 66 mm unguided anti-tank weapon, designed in the United States by Paul V. Choate, Charles B. Weeks, and Frank A. Spinale et al...
, PAO-90M67 recoilless rifleThe M67 recoilless rifle was a 90-mm antitank recoilless rifle made in the United States and later in the Republic of Korea. It could also be employed in an antipersonnel role with the use of the M590 antipersonnel round...
, HAI Mortar 81mm - Vehicles - Panhard VBL
- Helicopters - UH-1 IroquoisUH-1 IroquoisThe Bell UH-1 Iroquois is a military helicopter powered by a single, turboshaft engine, with a two-bladed main rotor and tail rotor. The helicopter was developed by Bell Helicopter to meet the United States Army's requirement for a medical evacuation and utility helicopter in 1952, and first flew...
, NHI NH90NHI NH90The NHIndustries NH90 is a medium sized, twin-engine, multi-role military helicopter manufactured by NHIndustries. The first prototype had its maiden flight in December 1995...
, CH-47 ChinookCH-47 ChinookThe Boeing CH-47 Chinook is an American twin-engine, tandem rotor heavy-lift helicopter. Its top speed of 170 knots is faster than contemporary utility and attack helicopters of the 1960s...
(As operated by 1st Army Aviation Brigade)