[Portrait] Austria takes command of EUTM Mali

(B2) German general Jochen Deuer takes over on December 21 as head of the Malian army's military training mission. It is an Austrian, from the mechanized infantry, General Christian Riener who takes over.

• EUTM Mali is the EU's main military mission in number and exposure.
• This is the first time to our knowledge that Austria will command a military mission in Africa.
• Austrian special forces had been heavily involved in the operation EUFOR Chad CAR in 2008-2009.

Born on January 12, 1967 in Hötzelsdorf, Lower Austria, Christian Riener joined the army in 1986. Graduated from the military academy Theresianism from Wiener Neustadt, in 1993, he joined the 9th Mechanized Infantry Battalion (Panzergrenadierbataillon 9) of Horn. He will stay there for seven years, going through different levels.

A specialist in tactical teaching

In 2000, he prepared the staff training course. Upon completion, in 2003, he became an officer teaching tactics at the Army Defense Academy (Landesverteidigungsakademie). In 2004, he became chief of staff and deputy commander of the 4th Panzergrenadier Brigade (mechanized infantry), one of the main units of the Austrian army with 3500 men. After a few more years at TherMilAk, theNational Defense Academy, from 2007 to 2011, he returned to "4", of which he took command in October 2014.

In Kosovo

Riener participated in several external operations, mainly in the Balkans. First as head of the Austrian contingent of KFOR (from 2010 to 2011), then as deputy commander of KFOR (2016 - 2017). In November 2017, he moved to the operations management department of the Austrian army, before taking charge in April 2018.

On a personal level, he is married with two children and lives in Hötzelsdorf, his hometown, not far from the Czech border where, according to the regional daily Nope, he renovated an old building.

(NGV)