Hunter Corps

The Hunter Corps (Jægerkorpset) is an elite, special forces unit of the Royal Danish Army based at Aalborg Air Base.

History
The first incarnation of the corps was formed in 1785 as Jægercorpset i Sielland (The Hunter Corps of Zealand) and existed in various forms until it was remade in its current form in 1961. Their hunting origin is recalled in the hunting horn on their insignia. The Danish Huntmen Corps has trained a total of 362 soldiers from its inception in 1961 until 2009. In the year 1995, the Corps was deployed for the first time. A six-man team was sent to Sarajevo, Bosnia as a counter-sniper reconnaissance team.

As part of Task Force K-Bar, the Jaegers were awarded "The Presidential Unit citation" on December 7, 2004 for its effort as part of the joint-forces special forces group in Afghanistan.

Selection and training
The selection course to become a Jægersoldat (a member of Jægerkorpset) is very demanding, both mentally and physically. For a candidate to be accepted into the corps, he must complete the following:
 * Pre-course 1 (5 days)
 * Introduces the candidate to the subjects covered in the patrol course, and gives the candidate a feel for what he must get better at. (Orienteering, swimming, etc.)


 * Pre-course 2 (2 days)
 * More training and evaluation in the above covered subjects.


 * Pre-course 3 (2 days)
 * More training and evaluation in the above covered subjects with tougher requirements.


 * Patrol Course (8 weeks)
 * Basic patrol skills. This course must be completed at a satisfactory level to continue the aspirant course.


 * Aspirant Course (6 weeks)
 * Very demanding course teaching the candidate the physical limits of himself and his patrol. If passed the candidate is awarded his "bugle" for the beret.


 * Basic parachuting course (2 weeks)
 * Combat Swimming Course (2 weeks)
 * When all this has been completed to a satisfactory level, the candidate can begin their actual training. Following the successful completion of a years full time training, the maroon beret is awarded, and the soldier is considered a full member of the corps.

Insignia and status
Jægerkorpset wears the maroon beret with a brass emblem depicting a hunter's bugle on a black felt liner. After one year of satisfactory service and training in corps the wearer is issued the shoulder patch "JÆGER" (English: Hunter) and may call himself by this name.

Jægerkorpset is composed of around 150 highly trained soldiers with special expertise in counter-terrorism, demolitions, parachuting, and combat swimming, HAHO and HALO parachuting, infiltration, sabotage, reconnaissance and more. The corps regularly trains with similar units from different countries, such as the US Navy SEALs, British SAS and the Danish naval special forces group, the Frogman Corps. The corps is based on the structure and modus operandi of the British SAS.

Their slogan, which is Latin, Plus esse, quam simultatur translates to Mere at være, end at synes ("More to be, than to seem") in Danish, meaning that the soldier's capabilities do not have to be widely recognized or boasted—they are only more effective if unknown.