Military resignations in Germany increase by 500%

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
6 Jan 2023 16:14
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As Germany attempts to boost its military capacity given the war in Ukraine, several military personnel are refusing to serve.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda visit German troops of the NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup in Pabrade, Lithuania June 7, 2022 (Reuters)

The number of German military personnel refusing to serve in 2022 increased about 500% year on year due to the situation in Ukraine, according to the German Federal Office of Family Affairs and Civil Society Functions on Friday.

As cited by German media group RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND), a spokesperson for the Federal Office noted that "In 2021, the Federal Office of Family Affairs and Civil Society Functions received 201 applications for refusal of military service, and in 2022 there were a total of 951 applications submitted."

Furthermore, the spokesperson stated that since general conscription was abolished in 2011, only individuals who have already served in the German armed services and refuse to continue their military duty are considered "decliners." According to RND, many decliners opted to leave the military to escape possible engagement in the Ukraine crisis.

German army incapable of carrying out NATO duties: Berlin

Earlier in December, a secret report prepared by the German Ministry of Defense and handed over to the Defense Committee in the Bundestag revealed that the country's military was suffering from a lack of arms, equipment, and operations.

The report said the German military could only sufficiently carry out its NATO duties only within a certain scope, as it is facing extreme hardship in fulfilling its commitments to the alliance.

The German navy would not even be able to send a ship to the UN mission off Lebanon's coasts, the report added.

The report rapped the financial situation and training within the German army, saying they were both in bad shape, while clarifying that the heavy equipment and weapons they had were old and needed updating. "There is a deficit in the munition and basic military equipment. There is not enough thermal underwear for the servicemen."

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