From the event

28 Oct. 2008

Austrian KFOR soldiers celebrate their National Day

The Austrian soldiers of the Multinational Task Force South (MNTFS) celebrated their Austrian National Day in Suva Reka / Suhareke on the 26th of October. Numerous guests from politics and economy witnessed the ceremony. Among other things in his speech the commander MNTFS, General Robert Prader read out the address written by the Federal President of the Republic of Austria on the occasion of the National Day. He himself was pleased to spend this important day together with his fellow Austrian soldiers in the area of operations.

The musical accompaniment was assumed by the Upper Austrian Musikkapelle Kopfing, which concluded the ceremonial part with Beating of the Retreat (a sequence of military pieces of music).
The Austrian National Day marks the withdrawal of the occupying powers from Austria on the 25th of October 1955. Hence, the following day became a symbol of "…the first documentation of Austria's independent political will in complete freedom" and was thus declared Austria's National Day.