Germany needs more soldiers. But there are no plans to reintroduce compulsory military service at the moment. Instead, the Bundeswehr is recruiting volunteers, and the success is clear.
Volunteering for the Bundeswehr, learning to march and sleeping in a bunk bed in a barracks? Many young Germans can't imagine such a thing. Tom can. The 23-year-old from Erfurt is considering joining the Bundeswehr. "The combination of being in a community and team spirit fascinates me," he tells DW. "And I want to develop myself further."
That's why Tom, in a black T-shirt and with an athletic body, is now at the Bundeswehr's counseling office in Erfurt. It's located in a shopping center between a supermarket and a gym. Interested people like him are very welcome here, because the Bundeswehr is looking for personnel. The motto is: Don't turn anyone away! Even those who come without an appointment will, with some luck, quickly find an advisor. Or at least an olive-colored information leaflet with the somewhat pathetic inscription: "Here you secure Germany and your future."
First conversation with the Bundeswehr advisor
Before he can decide, Tom needs some information. Tony Baumann, the uniformed counselor, politely asks him about his experience and professional goals. Tom has worked in healthcare, in administration, for seven years.
He knows the Bundeswehr from an internship he did there when he was a student. A friend who is a soldier also told him a few things. Serving in the army or on missions abroad would not be a problem for Tom. "I also want to give something back to my country. It has given me a lot, free education for example."
With around 182,000 soldiers and 80,000 civilian employees, the Bundeswehr is one of Germany's largest employers. It attracts those interested with a wide range of training and degree programs. "There are opportunities here that you can't find in the private sector," says Tom. He is considering whether to do voluntary military service first or immediately commit to several years of service.
Barracks assessment center
Just three kilometers from the counseling office is the Löberfeld barracks. The guard checks the ID cards. Then they go to the Bundeswehr career center, one of 15 of them throughout Germany. Here, all applicants from Thuringia and Saxony must complete a series of tests. The results determine whether they are accepted into the Bundeswehr.
In the gymnasium, two young men are taking a physical test. It is warm, the sun is streaming in through the windows. Both are pedaling hard on the ergometers, trying to achieve the required result. Earlier, they had run around the room and hung from a horizontal bar until beads of sweat appeared on their foreheads.
Although the need for personnel is great, the Bundeswehr does not accept just anyone. Criteria such as health, physical fitness, and personal attitude must be met. If an applicant does not respect the democratic order and all its principles, the process ends here.
Around one in five applicants fail the exam, says Colonel Kim Frerichs, who heads the Career Center in Erfurt. However, he is very pleased with the current figures: The number of applications and jobs has increased by around 20 percent this year. This is "also an effect of the war in Ukraine," says Frerichs, which is a motivation for many. And so the trend from 2024 continues: Last year, the Bundeswehr received almost a fifth more applications than the year before.
Can volunteers cover the high demand for soldiers?
The Bundeswehr is expanding again, after shrinking by a total of around 3,000 soldiers between 2020 and 2024. But not every new recruit stays in the army. In addition, many soldiers are retiring due to age. Will it still be possible to recruit up to 60,000 additional soldiers in the coming years? This is the plan of Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD). He argues for this with the threat from Russia and the growing demands of NATO.
Despite this ambitious goal, the Defense Minister is sticking to voluntary service for the time being. He wants to make military service more attractive, primarily through better salaries.
And in the future, all 18-year-olds will receive a letter from the Bundeswehr. Men must fill out and send in a questionnaire, while women can do so. It contains questions about health and readiness for military service. The medical and physical examination will gradually be restored for all young men. Without "such mandatory elements", it cannot work, believes Kim Frerichs, who has practice in this sector.
Pistorius is taking precautions in case "soft coercion" is not enough: With the new law planned for military service, he is including the possibility of reactivating conscription. This option is intended to be used if there are not enough volunteers or if the danger situation escalates. The draft law is expected to be discussed by the government cabinet at the end of August.
Better image for the Bundeswehr, more applicants
We return to the career counseling office in the center of Erfurt. What are the young people who come here interested in knowing about the Bundeswehr? "They often ask if they can do sports or get a driver's license while they are in the army," explains counselor Tony Baumann, who also conducted the interview with Tom.
Money is also a topic for potential applicants, some of whom come with their parents. "We don't have to hide," says Baumann. "If someone wants to do voluntary military service right after school, they get 1,800 euros net here and on top of that they get free accommodation, free train travel and free medical care, that's very tempting."
The Bundeswehr's equipment also plays a role. It has improved significantly since the German government invested a lot of money in equipping the troops with modern weapons. Knowing that the Bundeswehr is very well equipped and technologically up-to-date, says Baumann, is undoubtedly an additional motivation for applicants./ DW (A2 Televizion)
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