German Bundeswehr Award High Crosses of Honor to Two Austrian Soldiers
A sign of the deep military ties between Germany and Austria: the German Bundeswehr has awarded two high-ranking members of the Austrian Armed Forces the Cross of Honor of the Bundeswehr at the German Embassy in Vienna. The award recognizes their outstanding services and the long-standing, trusting cooperation between the two armed forces.
Brigadier Wagner (r.) and Second Lieutenant Göbl (l.) were awarded the Cross of Honor of the German Bundeswehr. / Picture: © Austrian Armed Forces Photograph/Bundeswehr
Brigadier Kurt Wagner, military commander of Vienna, received the Bundeswehr Cross of Honor in Gold. Second Lieutenant Thomas Göbl, commander of the operations group at the officers' mess of the Maria Theresa Barracks, was honored with the Cross of Honor in Bronze.
The Bundeswehr Medal of Honor is one of the highest honors awarded by the German armed forces and is conferred in exceptional cases on soldiers of foreign armed forces who have “rendered outstanding services to the Bundeswehr.” The award stands for “exceptional achievements and exemplary fulfillment of duty” and is conferred by the Federal Minister of Defense.
Years of cooperation in the Vienna command area
The honoring of Brigadier Wagner and Vice Lieutenant Göbl underscores the mature and professional partnership between the Austrian Armed Forces and the Bundeswehr in Austria. Cooperation in the Vienna area has been manifested for years in mutual support for training projects, organizational exchanges, and regular technical discussions.
A central element of this partnership is the Capital Command Cooperation (CCC), also known as the “Capital Commanders Conference.” This format brings together the capital commands of currently seven EU member states – including Vienna, Berlin, Bratislava, Budapest, Ljubljana, Prague, and Warsaw – for an intensive exchange of ideas each year.
The Capital Commanders Conference serves as a platform for mutual learning and the definition of future projects. The focus is on civil-military cooperation, crisis management, and, in particular, the protection of critical infrastructure. Last year, the conference took place at the Maria Theresia Barracks in Vienna.
Guard and Guard Battalion seal partnership
Another highlight of the recent cooperation was the official sealing of the partnership between the Austrian Guard and the Guard Battalion at the Federal Ministry of Defense (WachBtl BMVg) in Berlin.
As part of the celebrations for “70 Years of the State Treaty” on May 15, 2025, Colonel Georg Frischeis, Commander of the Guard, and Lieutenant Colonel Maik Teichgräber, Commander of the Berlin Guard Battalion, signed a partnership agreement. Both units, which are exceptionally similar in their mission to represent the nation and perform protocol duties, and which are also trained for combat in urban environments, have since benefited from a structured exchange of experience.
With these awards, the Bundeswehr honors not only individual achievements but also the foundations of strategic and ceremonial cooperation, which contribute significantly to strengthening security in Central Europe.