Brigade General Markus Meyer says that the Bundeswehr’s paratroopers are “out of step with the times”. According to him, the units’ current structure was adequate for Afghanistan: it worked then, but it is no longer needed today, and a long‑term reorganisation is required.
At the same time, Paratrooper Regiment 26 is tackling cases of sexual assault, drug use and far‑right extremism that have crept back into everyday military life. Colonel Martin Holle, the regiment’s commander, told the “FAZ” that while discussions-also about press coverage-continue, the focus must remain on the core mission. He emphasized that the troops want to move on from these issues; this is not about downplaying them.
Holle also discussed the dismissals within the paratrooper units, saying: “It’s better to close the gap than to keep people who do not positively contribute to readiness”. Meyer added that simply ordering the troops in Germany to refrain from inappropriate behaviour is ineffective. He warned that the path to improvement will be long and that even as progress is made, „We will not all be saints, but it has to get better”.
