Bundeswehr: "We're not putting a senior lance corporal at the age of 68 into an infantry fighting vehicle anymore"
The German armed forces, the Bundeswehr, are to have an effective reserve again. Why older age groups are in demand and why employers should not worry, explains the head of the Reservists' Association.
The defense ministry began recruiting men to join the Bundeswehr reserve for training exercises in July, targeting those who completed compulsory or voluntary military service until 2011. Bastian Ernst, president of the Reservistenverband, expressed hope that former service members would respond positively to the call, stating that many may recall their time in the military as enjoyable.
The CDU Bundestag representative for Lower Saxony has been leading the association since April. Currently, the Bundeswehr comprises approximately 185,000 active soldiers and 60,000 reservists with assigned duties. The active force is expected to grow to 260,000 by 2035, while the reservist base aims to reach 200,000 two years earlier, as per the Armed Forces Conscription Act.
The new voluntary military service, launched at the beginning of the year, primarily aims to bolster the reserve force, which would be responsible for homeland defense, sheltering allied troops, and managing casualty care in case of a defense scenario. Ernst emphasized that the reserve accounts for 43 percent of the entire Bundeswehr personnel, underscoring its significance.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
