Feral Jundi

     Now this is interesting.  Germany has scrapped the whole conscription thing in favor of an all volunteer force. Now what they do to get recruits will be anyone’s guess?  France does the whole Foreign Legion thing, and here in the US we have about 29,000 non-US citizens serving in our military. Not to mention all the non-US citizens serving as contractors and subcontractors overseas.  There are many ways to build an army and keep it manned based on the requirements of the time. –Matt

Germany mulls foreign recruits for army

Only EU nationals to the Bundeswehr

Germany mulls foreign recruits for army

13/02/2011

Germany could recruit foreigners into its army as part of a plan to ensure it has enough manpower now that conscription has effectively been scrapped, a defence ministry official said at the weekend.

“We have to broaden the regulations to allow residents in Germany to be recruited into the armed services, if they are suitable, even if they are not German nationals,” said a draft defence ministry plan, cited by Focus weekly.

A ministry official confirmed to AFP that this was one of the measures under consideration to “increase the attractiveness of army service.”

Germany’s army, the Bundeswehr, needs to open up to “new potential” for demographic reasons, the spokesman added. Germany has a rapidly ageing population.

In 2009, there were some 7.1 million foreigners living in Germany, according to official statistics.

Germany’s popular defence minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg aims to slash Germany’s 250,000-strong military to 180,000-185,000 under plans to reduce spending and reform the army to meet the challenges of 21st century warfare.

But now that conscription has effectively been scrapped, the army is worried is might not be able to attract enough career soldiers.

From March onwards, only short-term volunteers will be accepted for military service. The government expects around 15,000 people to do so each year.

Other measures designed to make an army career more attractive include offering childcare facilities on certain military bases and sabbaticals, Focus cited the draft plan as saying.

Story here.

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Only EU nationals to the Bundeswehr

(translated thru Google Translator)

February 14, 2011

Clarified proposal

The army should not be generally open for foreigners living in Germany. Approved would only be registered in Germany living people from EU countries and a few other countries for military service, said the spokesman for the Federal Ministry of Defence, Steffen Moritz, in Berlin on Monday. Among non-EU countries were merely concerned with countries such as Switzerland, that there was an agreement on mutual recognition of professional qualifications.

Background is the “package of measures to increase the attractiveness of the service in the armed forces,” the weekend was partly known. A catalog of 82 measures is next to a family-friendly service design, and higher pay payments “that residents have the aptitude, qualifications and performance without German citizenship may be adjusted periodically in the armed forces.” The package is intended to help the suspension of conscription after the first July cover to continue the staffing needs of the armed forces.

“The question of whether we open the armed forces for non-German, is currently being tested in the ministry,” said Moritz. This has brought a final result yet. In any event, necessary for such a move an amendment. The speaker turned to fears about the possible construction of a mercenary force in the manner of the French Foreign Legion. Such considerations were not employed by the Ministry of Defence.

Politicians from the SPD and Greens had been in front of a recruiting mercenaries may not even warned of trouble spots. They had also pointed to problems in the recruitment of immigrants who are already subject to compulsory military service in their home countries. Even the FDP Bundestag Serkan Tören turned in Berlin on Monday against a “foreign legion anonymous. It was incorrect, however, make the army more attractive for immigrants.

Also in the Union’s plans were met with resistance. The deputy Wolfgang Bosbach (CDU) pointed to possible conflicts of loyalty: “We look to federal officials and judges, a special loyalty and loyality to the state and that applies to armed forces members in at least the same degree,” said Bosbach the Cologne Stadt-Anzeiger.

So far, a recruitment of foreigners for the Bundeswehr soldiers, according to the law only in exceptional cases, particularly the service requirement is permissible. In practice, this scheme, according to Defense Ministry made very little use. For the past three or four years not a single case is known.

Operation of kindergartens in the Bundeswehr

In addition, the “material and social conditions” of the Bundeswehr to be improved. According to a report by the magazine “Focus” is intended, among other things, make the army more family friendly. For instance, there are parent-child work funded and costs for rental of the children are adopted. On “selected sites” it should therefore also be operating kindergartens. And personal time-outs (known as sabbaticals) are possible, according to the plans.

In view of suspension of compulsory military service, the service in the armed forces, according to experts are much more attractive than at present to attract sufficient numbers of trained volunteers. The “Focus” is an open question, according to whether the money is provided for the program.

Backing for Guttenberg

In the fight against the savings targets for his house receives Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg (CSU), now backed by the Union. The foreign policy spokesman of the CDU faction in parliament and head of the Youth Union, Philipp Missfelder (CDU), called on the “Hamburger Abendblatt on Saturday, the coalition government to correct its austerity measures and to refrain from cuts in the armed forces. “The planned Bundeswehr reform can succeed only if Defense Guttenberg of the financial constraints of over eight billion € is freed,” the CDU politician the paper.

The coalition had agreed in principle last year to save in the army by 2014 8.3 billion euros. Guttenberg had the requirements modified several times referred to as impractical. Chancellor Angela Merkel and Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble (both CDU) could now, however, show no willingness to make concessions.

Mißfelder said: “If we really want to implement all the savings targets, we would have considerably more stores closing than the 40 that were previously under discussion.” Even the targeted troop ceiling of 185,000 has Mißfelder given the savings targets “unrealistic”.

Also, prime minister of Bavaria and CSU chief Horst Seehofer holds the planned savings nor for implement. He supported and the entire CSU Guttenberg on the issue, said the CSU politician “Focus”. Seehofer added that he wanted to get “as much” work in the field of military technology and military sites in Bavaria.

Story here.