640 men and women

How our soldiers celebrate Christmas Eve at the front

For the soldiers, Christmas means spending the quietest time of the year away from home and not being at home with their loved ones as usual.(Bild: BMLV)

While the bells will soon be ringing out for Christmas mass here in Austria, around 640 Austrians will be deployed to a number of trouble spots around the world, fighting for security and their country ...

"Creating peace and maintaining peace - our Austrian Armed Forces have been making a significant contribution to international crisis and conflict management for decades" - this is how Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner (ÖVP) summed up the value of the red-white-red peacekeeping missions during her pre-Christmas visit to Kosovo.

The recurring unrest, however, made it clear how fundamentally important the presence of international organizations and Austria's contribution were. During the video conference, the Minister took the opportunity to thank every single soldier in Lebanon and elsewhere for their commitment and to wish them a Merry Christmas.

Minister Tanner also brought the soldiers in Kosovo some red-white-red delicacies.(Bild: BMLV/Daniel TRIPPOLT)

The mood is good, the situation is tense even during the holidays.(Bild: BMLV/Daniel TRIPPOLT)

 "The Christmas period is a particular challenge for our soldiers. Around 1,300 are currently deployed at home and abroad. Sometimes under extremely challenging conditions. As far as possible, it is therefore very important to allow for a little peace and reflection."

Christmas preparations in Lebanon
The UNIFIL mission in Lebanon will continue unchanged over the Christmas holidays. Many Austrian soldiers will be spending Christmas in the area of operations. The tradition will be practiced as well as possible. That is why the Christmas trees are already being decorated in a festive and traditional way by the soldiers.

The Christmas tree is already being decorated in Lebanon. A contingent has been stationed on Israel's border since 2011.(Bild: BMLV)

Due to the tense situation in the operational area, great importance is attached to camaraderie and cohesion within the contingent. If service operations allow, service is scaled back a little during the holidays in order to promote the possibility of regeneration.

17 missions in trouble spots worldwide
There are currently 640 military personnel deployed on 17 missions abroad, including 30 women. The largest contingents are in Kosovo (KFOR, 170 personnel), Bosnia and Herzegovina (EUFOR, 242 soldiers) and Lebanon (UNIFIL, 170 personnel). Tanner: "Developments in Europe and the Middle East remain extremely dangerous."