Huntsmen Corps (Denmark)

Jægerkorpset
The group unit insignia of Jægerkorpset
Active	1 November 1961 - Present
Country	Denmark
Branch	Royal Danish Army
Type	Special Operations
Role	Primary tasks: Unconventional Warfare Special Reconnaissance Direct Action Counter-terrorism Other roles: Information operations Humanitarian missions
Size	~150
Garrison/HQ	Aalborg Air Base
Motto	Plus Esse Quam Simultatur
Engagements	United Nations Protection Force NATO intervention in Bosnia Kosovo Force (KFOR) The Stabilisation Force (SFOR) Iraq War War In Afghanistan
Decorations	Presidential Unit Citation (United States)

The Jaeger Corps (Danish: Jægerkorpset) is the special forces unit of the Royal Danish Army stationed at Aalborg Air Base.

Insignia and status

Jægerkorpset wears the maroon beret with a brass emblem depicting a hunter's bugle on a black felt liner. The beret is issued after completion of an 16 week selection course. After one year of additional satisfactory service and training in JGK the wearer is issued the shoulder patch "JÆGER" and may call himself by this name.

Jægerkorpset is composed of around 150 highly-trained soldiers with special expertise in counter-terrorism, demolitions, parachuting, and combat swimming, HAHO and HALO parachuting, infiltration, sabotage, reconnaissance and more. The corps regularly trains with similar units from different countries, such as the Navy SEALS, British SAS and the Danish naval special forces group, the Frogmen. The corps is based on the structure and modus operandi of the British SAS.^{[citation needed]}

Their slogan, which is Latin, "Plus esse, quam simultatur" translates to "Mere at være, end at synes" ("More to be, than to seem") in Danish, meaning that the soldier's capabilities do not have to be widely recognized or boasted - they are only more effective if unknown.

History

The first incarnation of the corps was formed in 1785 as Jægercorpser i Sielland (The Hunter Corps of Zealand) and existed in various forms until it was remade in its current form in 1961. The Danish Hunter Corps has trained a total of 362 soldiers from its inception in 1961 until 2009^{[citation needed]}. In the year 1995, the Hunter Corps was deployed for the first time. A six man team was sent to Sarajevo, Bosnia as a counter-sniper reconnaissance team.

As part of Task Force K-Bar, the Hunter Corps was awarded "The Presidential Unit citation" on December 7, 2004 for its effort as part of the joint-forces special forces group in Afghanistan.

Selection and Training

The selection course to become a Jægersoldat (a member of Jægerkorpset) is very demanding, both mentally and physically. For a candidate to be accepted into the corps, he must complete the following:

• Pre-course 1 (5 days)

Introduces the candidate to the subjects covered in the patrol course, and gives the candidate a feel for what he must get better at. (Orienteering, swimming, etc.)

• Pre-course 2 (2 days)

More training and evaluation in the above covered subjects.

• Pre-course 3 (2 days)

More training and evaluation in the above covered subjects with tougher requirements.

• Patrol Course (8 weeks)

Basic patrol skills. This course must be completed at a satisfactory level to continue the aspirant course.

• Aspirant Course (6 weeks)

Very demanding course teaching the candidate the physical limits of himself and his patrol. If passed the candidate is awarded his “bugle” for the beret.

• Basic parachuting course (2 weeks)
• Combat Swimming Course (2 weeks)

If completed the maroon beret is awarded.

References

External links

• Official webpage of Jægerkorpset