Germany Army Home Defense Forces practice from September 18 to October 2 in the federal states of Saxony-Anhalt and Rhineland-Palatinate for the first time in a public space. The exercise is named Vigilant Roland II (Vigilant Roland). The predecessor exercise Vigilant Roland I took place in May on troop training areas at several locations in Bavaria, Hesse, and Lower Saxony, for example with the securing of the rail offloading of tracked vehicles of Panzergrenadier Brigade 37 at the Bergen training area.
In Vigilant Roland II, by contrast, near Stendal in Saxony-Anhalt, a highway bridge is secured as an example of defense-critical infrastructure and defense against possible threats, such as drones, trained. Another component of the exercise is the securing of a so-called Convoy Support Center (CSC) – a military rest stop for military convoys – near Altengrabow.
Home Defense Regiments 4 and 6 involved
In total, around 450 soldiers from Home Defense Regiment 4, which is stationed in Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony, as well as from Home Defense Regiment 6 based in Saxony-Anhalt with its headquarters in Möckern, will participate in the exercise. A large part of them are reservists. On the specified days there may be occasional disruptions in road traffic.
The mission of the 2025-established Home Defense Division is to protect German territory, secure defense-critical infrastructure, provide site protection, and support the deployment of NATO forces. Additionally, its soldiers, together with civilian disaster protection, assist in severe natural disasters or accidents.
