https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-military-foreigners-idUSKCN1OQ14L?utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Trending+Content&utm_content=5c25378804d30145083d2150&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR248J08syD7l1qsqtjrWK2dK4LxkwG2NdhdtNrNc_22ICt-jFGW0tZScZg
And for those who can't read past the headline:
The Defence Ministry wants to limit the group of potential recruits to those who have already lived in Germany for several years and speak fluent German, Der Spiegel said.
In the context of the EU lately, foreigners usually means Arabs or Africans, but this is not the case here. They are looking at Poles, Italians and Romanians as valid candidates for military service, because this group makes up half of all EU citizens in Germany. They're also trying to encourage young Germans, but the military is not a popular in Germany because "the army remains a sensitive career choice more than 70 years after World War Two." That surprises me a bit, I thought they'd have gotten over it by now, but it seems like joining the Army is still somewhat taboo to a lot of people.
It's not a taboo by any means, but it's more of a matter of being future proof. Many jobs in the Bundeswehr just don't translate well into the free market and that is a big concern in Germany, as only young people join with the thought of working there for the rest of their lives.
I've heard the US had a similar problem, one example was a former combat medic that worked as school nurse who wasn't even allowed to hand out aspirin. Despite already being trained, their military experience simply does not count, and they would have to go to medical school to become a Paramedic despite already having the skills. The job requires the degree, and the degree requires the course, even if everything in the course is old news to you. This was like 10 years go though so I don't know if it's changed since then.
A couple of friends of mine wanted to join but since they still don't have the citizenship they couldn't, I wonder if their requests were among the ones who convinced the minister to do this
Unfortunately that's a universal issue in many Western nations dealing with unemployment. People who are capable of the job need the qualifications while those who have them need the practical experience but most employers want both.
You can hardly compare the two, Navy Corpsmen, Army and USAF medics walk away with EMT certifications out of their respective schools. All military get free Tuition assistance (up to a yearly limit) and 4 years of college with food, housing and tuition covered for you after you get out via the GI Bill. Even If you're in a military job that doesn't have a translation to the civilian sector like mine you still have plenty of tools to walk away with a degree useful on the outside for free.
Bundeswehr personnel walk away with nothing, which is why it's so unattractive.
Its frankly because the Bundeswehr can't afford it. They can barely afford basic maintenance costs on their aircraft. Germany has severely dropped the ball in regards to their military.
They also waste a bunch of money doing things unnecessarily. Of 97 vehicles delivered to the military last year, 59 were immediately schedules for upgrades. Just order them as you need them, buying it and then immediately sending it for upgrades is just a waste of time and money.
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