Paratrooper[1] Battalion 261 was fully airmobile and could act both as air assault infantry or be dropped by parachute into the area of operations.

The unit temporarily belonged to the multiliteral AMF(L) Brigade.

Since then, Paratrooper Battalion 261 has taken part in numerous operations all over the globe and spent much time in northern Afghanistan battling the resurgent Taliban insurgency.

[3] In 2007, thirty troops received the great honour of an invitation to the French Bastille Day parade.

Following a restructuring of the German armed forces, the battalion was disbanded on 31 March 2015 and merged into the newly raised Paratrooper Regiment 26.