The Jaegercorps – a Danish Special Operations Force

Danish special operations forces (SOF) units:

The Jaegercorps, army (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huntsmen_Corps_(Denmark))
The Frogmancorps, navy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danish_Frogman_Corps)
Sirius Sledge Patrol, navy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slædepatruljen_Sirius)

History of the Jaegercorps
During the 1960s, the Cold War was at its height and the Berlin Wall was established in 1961. It was decided that Denmark should create a special forces unit in order to gather information during a so-called ‘Grey Period’ – a prewar-phase between the Warzaw Pact and NATO. Thus the Jaegercorps was established on November 1st 1961 as a long range reconnaissence patrol unit (LRRP). During the years following the Cold War (1992-95) the Jaegercorps was transformed into a SOF-unit.

The Jaegercorps has participated in special opeations on the Balkans (1993-2007), Iraq (2003-08), Afghanistan (2001-present) and Africa. As a part of Task Force K-Bar, the Jaegercorps was awarded ‘The Presidential Unit citation’ on December 7th, 2004, for its effort as part of the joint-forces special operations forces group in Afghanistan.

The number of operators is confidential (but way to low).

Selection (in total 18 months)

Basic selection test (2 days)

Written tests (autobiography, English, mathematics)
Interview with a psychologist
PT (Coopers test, ‘yo-yo’ test, coretest)
Medical examination

Pre-course
Pre-course 1 (5 days, 6 months before the actual selection course)
Introduces the candidate to the subjects covered in the actual selection course and gives the
candidate a feel for what he must get better at (orienteering, PT, shooting skills etc.).
Pre-course 2 (2 days, 4 months before the actual selction course)
More training and evaluation in the above covered subjects.
Pre-course 3 (2 days, 2 months before the actual selction course)
More training and evaluation in the above covered subjects with tougher requirements.
(PIX 3 – completing Patrol Course, selection)

Patrol Course (8 weeks)

Physical and mental skills are tested.
• Shooting
• Helicopter insertion/extraction
• Maritime insertion/extraction (RIB, rubber dinghy)
• Orienteering (technique, theory, orienteering race/march, day/night)
• March
• Cold water habituation (7-10° C (44,5 F°)/combat swimming
• PT – running, core
• Demolition
• Medic
• Survival
• Self-confidence tests
• Patrol exercises

Completing the course the candidate will be rated with either ‘satisfactory’ or ‘very satisfactory’. The candidate must have ‘very satisfactory’ in order to continue on Selection Course.

Selection Course (8 weeks, begins 1 week after end of Patrol Course)

Physical and mental skills are further tested.
• Shooting/CQB
• Helicopter insertion/extraction
• Maritime insertion/extraction (RIB, rubber dinghy)
• Orienteering
• March*
• Cold water habituation (7-10° C (44,5 F°)/combat swimming
• PT – running, core**
• Demolition/breaching
• Medic
• Survival
• Self-confidence tests
• Patrol exercises

(PIX 4 – rope/RIB)

* During Patrol- and Selection Course the candidate marches and runs in average 2000 kilometers (1250 mi) (final march test: 60 km (37,3 mi)/40 kilo equipment in maximum 12 hrs in terrain + 2 x 50 km/40 kilo equipment in maximum 48 hrs in terrain). The candidate swims in average 45 km (28 mi) in a pool and/or in seawater.

** Core Test

Mistakes and forgetfulness are ‘rewarded’ during the courses. For example the author to this article forgot the key to his quarter and was rewarded with a 1.70 meters (5.5 ft) and 20 kilo heavy ‘key’ which he had to carry everywhere at all times in a period of 5 days. (PIX 5 – KEY)

The Selection Course is completed with a self-confidence test (rope-drop from 18 meter/22 yd) whereafter the candidates are awarded the insignia of the Jaegercorps.

(PIX 6 – team, night HALO from c130 making TLZ)

Basic parachuting – static line (2 weeks)

Combat Swimming Course (3 weeks)

Conducted by The Danish Frogman Corps.

The maroon beret

After completing the Combat Swimming Course the candidates will receive the maroon beret.

(PIX 7 – beret)

(PIX 8 – arctic warfare training northern Sweden)

Basic SOF-training (52 weeks)
• Mobility (US, Australia, Spain)
• Arctic warfare (Sweden)
• Jungle warfare (Belize)
• Mountaineering (Switzerland)
• HAHO/HALO (Eloy, Arizona/US, Denmark)
• CQB shooting
• Weapons specialist training
• Specialist training (demolition/breaching, medic, comms, intel, sniper)

(PIX 9 – basic training)

(PIX 10 – mountain, Schwitzerland)

(PIX 11 – sniper)
(PIX 12 – mobility training, Supercat)

Jaeger Status (operative status)
The Jaeger badge is handed over. The author of this article was among the 8 candidates who out of 97 completed the course.

(PIX 13 – JAEGER)