The Austrian Forces Disaster Relief Unit (short AFDRU) is a SAR and disaster relief unit of the Austrian federal army (the Bundesheer). Search and Rescue (acronym SAR) is an operation mounted by emergency services, often well-trained volunteers, to find someone believed to be in distress, lost, sick or injured either in a remote or difficult to access area, such as mountains, desert or forest (Wilderness search and rescue), or at sea... The name of the Military of Austria is Bundesheer (Federal Army). For a short while between 1918 and 1921 the Austrian semi-regular army was called Volkswehr (peoples defence), fighting against Slovenian occupation forces in Carinthia. ...

It was created in 1990 is response to various disasters, especially the earthquake in Armenia in 1988. 1990 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 6,8 magnitude Spitak Earthquake took place on (December 7, 1988) at 11:41 local time (07:41 UTC) in the Spitak region, Armenia. ... 1988 is a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

AFDRU is specifically designed to be deployed in other countries. The unit can be airlifted within 10 hours of receiving orders, and carries enough equipment to operate on its own for two weeks.

The unit was active in many disasters, in particular in Iran during the 2003 earthquake and in Sri Lanka following the tsunami disaster in 2004. Bam (Persian: بم), pronounced [bæm], is a city in southern Iran, in Kerman province, south of city of Kerman and north of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. ... The December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami hits Thailand The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake, was an undersea earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC (07:58:53 local time) on December 26, 2004. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Weblinks

English page on AFDRU on the website of the Austrian federal army (Bundesheer). The name of the Military of Austria is Bundesheer (Federal Army). For a short while between 1918 and 1921 the Austrian semi-regular army was called Volkswehr (peoples defence), fighting against Slovenian occupation forces in Carinthia. ...