German commando course
The Bundeswehr commando course is a course conducted by the German Bundeswehr. The course was established in the early 1980s and is aimed on testing the physical and mental endurance of participants. It teaches special skills and tactics necessary to operate and survive under stressful conditions, and Jagdkampf advanced infantry tactics.
Until recently the Einzelkämpferlehrgang was a requirement for becoming an officer in the German Army. However, it became optional for officers and for NCOs. The course was taught at the German paratrooper school in Altenstadt, Upper Bavaria, now only at the German infantry school in Hammelburg. It is still a requirement for officers of combat troops, while for non-combat troops it has been replaced by a dedicated survival course.
The unarmed close quarter combat instructor part of the Advanced course has been modified into its own separate course in 2010. It now closely follows the Krav Maga curriculum. close quarter combat is still part of the basic course curriculum.
The course is separated into two parts:
Basic course EKL1
- Survival-skills
- Small unit tactics
- Instructor certification for previously acquired skills
- Leadership and advanced infantry minor tactics.
- Guerrilla warfare fundamentals
Sample schedule for basic course
Week 1- Arrival
- 3000m track and obstacle course, classroom instruction, receiving firearms, briefing
- Relocating to training area, speedy march, training in camouflage and firearms, transporting wounded soldiers
- Classroom instruction, navigation exercise in day and night
- 3000m track and obstacle course, instruction in knots
- 3000m track, obstacle course, ambushing, hand-to-hand fighting
- Rappelling, Zodiac boats, ambushing
- Rappelling, crossing rivers, hand-to-hand fighting, obstacle course
- Hand-to-hand fighting, obstacle course
- Camouflage, hand-to-hand fighting, obstacle course, night navigation exercise, setting up bivouac
- SERE exercise
- 24-hour exercise including transportation of wounded soldiers
- Survival skills, hand-to-hand fighting
- Hand-to-hand fighting
- Final exercises, 70 km march
- Debriefing, awarding of Einzelkämpfer patch by commander
Sample schedule for advanced course
Week 1- Arrival
- Introduction, initial physical fitness test
- Training in firearms and equipment, classroom instruction
- Hand-to-hand fighting, land navigation, parachute jump
- Hand-to-hand fighting
- Relocation to Sauwald, instruction in handling explosives, instruction in ambushing, map reading
- Rock climbing in Füssen
- Basics of commando actions
- Ambushing
- Commando exercise
- Hand-to-hand fighting
- Rock climbing
- Briefing, relocating to training area
- Infiltration, evasion, reconnaissance, ambushing
- Evasion and escaping, extraction, debriefing
- Written test, test for hand-to-hand combat instructor
- Written test, commando warfare, briefing
- Evasion, reconnaissance, ambush
- Evasion, using hideouts and alternative hideouts
- Debriefing
- Hand-to-hand fighting, urban warfare
- Briefing, relocation to training area
- Establishing hideouts, reconnaissance, ambushing
- Debriefing
- Returning equipment
- Awarding of Einzelkämpfer patch, end of course
Einzelkämpferabzeichen
For the successful completion of each part of the course, the Einzelkämpferabzeichen patch is awarded.The patch shows either one or two dark green oak leaved with light green background.