26th Airborne Brigade (Bundeswehr)
# 26th Airborne Brigade (Bundeswehr)

26th (Saarland) Airborne Brigade (German: Luftlandebrigade 26 "Saarland") is a formation in the Special Operations Division of the German Army with a strength of about 3,500 men and its brigade headquarters in Saarlouis. The Brigade is also called the Saarland Brigade as almost all its troops are stationed in the federal state of Saarland. Other elements are based in Rhineland-Palatinate. Most of the 26th Airborne Brigade belongs to the intervention forces of the Bundeswehr, and the formation therefore provides the overwhelming proportion of paratroopers and airborne troops for the intervention forces of the Army. The Brigade motto is: Einsatzbereit – jederzeit – weltweit ("Ready for action - anytime - worldwide"). The Brigade greeting is "Glück ab".

The brigade was previously part of the 1st Airborne Division alongside the 25th and 27th Luftlande Brigades.

## Commanders

The brigade commanders were (rank on takeover):

| No. | Name | Takeover date | Handover date |
| - | - | - | - |
| 17 | Oberst Stefan Geilen | 4 December 2014 | 31 March 2015 |
| 16 | Oberst Andreas Hannemann | 1 February 2012 | 4 December 2014 |
| 15 | Oberst Eberhard Zorn | 14 January 2010 | 31 January 2012 |
| 14 | Oberst Volker Bescht | 29 August 2005 | 14 January 2010 |
| 13 | Oberst Hans-Werner Fritz | 2003 | 29 August 2005 |
| 12 | Oberst Manfred Schlenker | (2000) | (2002) |
| 11 | Oberst Henning Glawatz | (1996) | (1999) |
| 10 | Oberst Hans-Heinrich Dieter | 1 April 1994 | (1995) |
| 9 | Oberst Helmut Harff | 1 April 1990 | 31 March 1994 |
| 8 | Oberst Fritz Eckert | 1 April 1983 | 31 March 1990 |
| 7 | Oberst Herbert Hagenbruck | April 1976 | 31 March 1983 |
| 6 | Oberst Hans Kubis | September 1973 | March 1976 |
| 5 | Oberst Helmut Liebeskind | October 1970 | September 1973 |
| 4 | Oberst Heinrich Schwiethal | October 1968 | September 1970 |
| 3 | Oberst Karl-Albert Keerl | April 1967 | October 1968 |
| 2 | Oberst Hans-Werner Voss | October 1963 | April 1967 |
| 1 | Oberst Erich Timm | October 1958 | September 1963 |
