The top military officer of the German armed forces, General Inspector Carsten Breuer, has emphatically asserted the necessity of a comprehensive assessment of all young men to ensure Germany’s defense capabilities. His statement directly challenges proposals from within the Bundestag, spearheaded by members of both the Christian Union and SPD factions, suggesting a lottery system to determine which cohorts would be assessed.
Breuer, speaking to the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland, underscored that from a military perspective, examining an entire age group is “crucial”. He argued that it provides vital clarity regarding available personnel and allows for the potential to draw on resources in a defense scenario, which remains the desired outcome. He cautioned that delaying assessments until a crisis arises would critically delay preparedness and significantly hamper response times.
Highlighting the unpredictable nature of future security threats, Breuer stressed the need for a “reliable pipeline of potential recruits”-a mechanism to rapidly bolster troop numbers if necessary. He explicitly dismissed the prospect of a lottery system prior to assessment, characterizing it as a self-imposed limitation on operational flexibility. Regarding a potential system of prioritizing candidates identified as particularly skilled and motivated following an initial assessment – to fill recruitment shortfalls if voluntary enlistment proves insufficient – Breuer acknowledged the potential benefits for military training, but emphasized it must be a secondary consideration.
Breuer reiterated the primacy of voluntary service, emphasizing the need for a system that is both meaningful and attractive to potential recruits. He outlined the goal of fostering a positive experience for all service members, connecting them to a sense of purpose and ensuring their training is both demanding and rewarding.
He conceded that compulsory service, requiring a cabinet and parliamentary decision, would ultimately prioritize highly qualified and motivated individuals, aligning recruitment with specific needs. “If we, for example, require particular IT specialists at a specific time, we would selectively target them – and not randomly deploy personnel, which would involve a great deal of additional training.
The Bundeswehr currently estimates a requirement for 260,000 active soldiers and 200,000 reservists to meet NATO obligations, a substantial increase from the current force strength of 180,000 active personnel. The debate regarding compulsory assessment and potential conscription underscores the growing political pressure to bolster Germany’s military readiness in the face of evolving geopolitical realities.
