The Will Is Decisive

From 1973, until the KSK’s formation in 1996, the West German (and later German) government assigned all counter-terrorist and special operations activities to the famed GSG 9; a highly trained police force created shortly after the tragic events that transpired during the 1972 Munich Olympic Games. Prior to 1973, the army’s Fernspäher (Long-Distance Reconnaissance), the navy’s Kampfschwimmer (Combat Swimmers/"Frogmen"), and (until 1989) the Nuclear Weapons Protection Platoons - Sonderwaffenbegleitkompanien [2] were the only military units comparable to anything that other nations may have seen as dedicated Special Forces units. Following the KSK’s activation on April 1, 1997, all but one of the Fernspähkompanie have been either disbanded or merged into the newly constituted unit.

Just like all German military units, KSK deployments require authorization from the German Bundestag (Federal Assembly). The unit has engaged in numerous anti-terror campaigns both in Europe and abroad; known engagements include operations inside Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Russia[citation needed], and most recently in Afghanistan. As is to be expected with such units, specific operational details such as success and casualty rates are deemed top secret and withheld even from the highest-ranking members of the Bundestag. This practice, however, has drawn heavy criticism that has resulted in future plans to increase transparency and accountability by relaying mission details to selected members of the Bundestag in regards to actions taken by the KSK.