The 31st (Oldenburg) Airborne Brigade () was a 3,600 man strong formation in the German Army with its headquarters in Oldenburg in north Germany. It was subordinated to the Special Operations Division and classified as part of the Army’s stabilisation forces. All elements of the Brigade were stationed in the state of Lower Saxony, the majority in Seedorf.
In 2014 the brigade was restructured as 31st Paratrooper Regiment which joined the 1st Airborne Brigade on 1 April 2015.
Commanders The following commanders have led the Brigade (rank given on appointment): No. Name Takeover date Handover date8Brigadegeneral Reinhardt Zudrop11 November 2010---7Brigadegeneral Frank Leidenberger1 June 200811 November 20106Oberst Dieter Warnecke20051 June 20085Oberst Rainer Hartbrod24 October 200320054Oberst Hans Günter Engel12 September 2002September 20033Oberst Carl-Hubertus von Butler24 September 199912 September 20022Oberst Bernd Müller28 March 199424 September 19991Oberst Volker Löw26 March 199328 March 1994
Subordinate units 31st Airborne Brigade HQ Company 270 Airborne Engineer Company (Luftlandepionierkompanie 270) 272 Airborne Support Battalion (LuftlandeunterstützungsBtl 272) 310 Airborne Recce Company (LuftlandeaufklärungsKp 310) 313 Parachute Battalion (Fallschirmjägerbataillon 313) 373 Parachute Battalion (Fallschirmjägerbataillon 373)
See also Special Operations Division
Literature Sören Sünkler: Die Spezialverbände der Bundeswehr. Stuttgart: Motorbuch Verlag 2007.
References
External links Website of the Brigade 273 Parachute Battalion Federal archives 314 Parachute Battalion 373 Parachute Battalion