German armored grenadiers form Mongolian soldiers at home

German armored grenadiers form Mongolian soldiers at home

The Panzergrenadierbrigade 41 "Western Pomerania", with its headquarters in Neubrandenburg, sets off to Asia to tackle a new challenge. From now on, this unit from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania will train Mongolian comrades in the next two years, from 2025 to 2027. The training cooperation takes place in May for four weeks and extends over 30 kilometers west of Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. A total of 30 German trainers are sent here, which convey various military skills.

This training content includes carrying out patrols, dealing with the threats by improvised explosive devices (IEDS), the medical supply of wounded and the safe defusing of explosive traps. Interestingly, Mongolian officers will act as an interpreter during their training after they have previously completed voice training in Germany. This initiative is the second step in the cooperation that was created after a mobile training team (MTT) of the United Nations in 2023. The MTT is a certified training program of the VN, but this training takes place without its direct participation.

Mongolian armed forces in action

The Mongolian armed forces are currently working on the United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (Unmiss), where about 10% of their troops are stationed. The training, which the Panzergrenadierbrigade 41 carries out, is organized by the "Military Training Support" department, supported by the Panzerpionier Battalion 803 from Havelberg. This cooperation with the Mongolian armed forces is not only shaped by military training, but also by a large camaraderie and mutual appreciation of the soldiers involved.

The Panzergrenadierbrigade 41 itself moves into its roots from the time after reunification when it was set up in 1991 as a home protection brigade 41 "Western Pomerania". Since her renaming in 1995, she has made a name for herself and is now part of the 1st Panzer Division. The brigade has locations in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Schleswig-Holstein and Saxony-Anhalt. With a wide variety of national and international operations, it shows its best side, be it in the context of NATO or the EU.

Current developments

In addition to cooperation with Mongolia, the Brigade recently announced that it will support Lithuania. This is done in the context of the increased security measures on the eastern flank of NATO, a reaction to the Russian attack on Ukraine. Army chief Lithuania, Valdemaras Rupys, and the German inspector of the army, Alfons Mais, have officially confirmed the support. As part of this initiative, weapons, ammunition and a brigade leadership are stationed in Lithuania, while most of the soldiers stay in Germany. The Panzergrenadierbrigade 41 has thus opened another important chapter in its operational history, in which it demonstrates its skills in the context of multinational land operations.

The training and cooperation with the Mongolian armed forces are an important step that shows how the Bundeswehr is committed internationally and does not only take on a military but also a partnership role. The historical connection of the brigade to the GDR past also gives this project an interesting context and emphasizes the further development of the Bundeswehr in the 21st century.