The Armored Grenadier Brigade 37 “Freistaat Sachsen” has a new commander: Last Thursday, Colonel Hagen Ruppelt took command in Chemnitz from Brigadier General David Markus. The 50-year-old joined the Bundeswehr’s Armored Troops in 1995, is married and father to two children. He was, among other things, commander of the German-Dutch Tank Battalion 414 and in this role, in 2021, also led the eFP Battlegroup Lithuania during the tenth rotation.
Most recently, Colonel Ruppelt served at the Federal Ministry of Defence in Berlin. His new position reconnects him with Lithuania: Until the Panzer Brigade 45 stationed there reaches full operational readiness, the Armored Grenadier Brigade 37, headquartered in Frankenberg, has been responsible since January 2025 as Multinational Brigade Lithuania for the defense of the Baltic state in the event of the alliance’s call-up. As part of the 10th Panzer Division, it is the brigade with the highest readiness and deployability in the German Army.
Armored Grenadier Brigade 37 Strengthens NATO Forward Presence
In this way, it reinforces NATO’s forward presence and, together with alliance partners, makes an essential contribution to deterrence and defensive capability on the NATO eastern flank as well as to reassuring the Baltic population. “Dynamic – challenging – fulfilling,” describes the outgoing commander, Brigadier General David Markus, his nearly two-year tenure at the head of the Armored Grenadier Brigade 37. “When I took over in June 2024, I knew what a powerful, professional and tested brigade I would be allowed to lead. These core qualities of the brigade have carried us through the last two years as well.”
Combined with its integration into the digitization of the armed forces, into national and international large-scale exercises, aid missions, as well as basic training and the new conscription, one can sketch an extensive portfolio of tasks. Yet the larger formation has always proven its high readiness. “And it will continue to do so,” Brigadier General Markus is confident. His new assignment now takes him to the Federal Ministry of Defence in Berlin. There he will continue what he advanced with his soldiers in Frankenberg: the ongoing development of the armed forces.
