A new watchpost: commissioning of the home protection regiment 4 in Schwerin

A new watchpost: commissioning of the home protection regiment 4 in Schwerin

Strengthening the homeland protection: Indial position of the home protection regiment 4 in Schwerin

on September 17, 2024, at 2:50 p.m., a significant ceremony took place in the picturesque castle garden of Schwerin. There, the Heimatschutz regiment 4 was officially launched, a step that is intended to strengthen security and willingness to defend in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. This event not only attracted many interested citizens, but also important personalities from politics.

Major General Andreas Henne, deputy of the commander of the Bundeswehr's territorial management command, headed the military ceremony, in which the official troop flag was handed over to Colonel of the Reserve Frank-Eckhard Brand. This flag is a symbol of the unit and cohesion of the soldiers and will in future embody the spirit of the home protection regiment 4.

The commissioning of the regiment is a decisive milestone in the professionalization of the reservists. Birgit Hesse, President of the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania state parliament, emphasized the valuable role, the reservists play in the defense of freedom and law: "Your personal commitment is admirable. In critical situations, we can count on the reservists and the active troops."

An essential aspect of the ceremonial was the review of a successful exercise that took place in May 2024. There, the home protection regiment 4, although it was still in the installation phase, showed remarkable services when protecting the Seehafen in Rostock. Brigadier general Uwe Nerger, the commander of the State Command Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, emphasized how important the home protection is for state and alliance defense.

The newly founded regiment will be parts of the territorial reserve and will not only be used in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, but also in Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg. In an emergency, it will take on both protection and security tasks and has the option of acting as part of disaster aid.

The home protection regiment 4 is based on a target strength of over 1000 soldiers, with more than 90 percent of them reservists. This structure is intended to improve the training and further education as well as the operational readiness of home protection as a whole. With the drawing up of this regiment, a further step in the direction of an increased security architecture in Germany is taken.

The invitation to commissioning command also aimed at the media in order to give the public an insight into the work of the reservists. Journalists had the opportunity to conduct interviews and document the action on site. This opening towards the public shows the endeavor to put the importance of home protection into the awareness of the citizens and to create transparency about the role of the reservists.