As of: 09/22/2021 3:09 a.m.
Chancellor Merkel today wants to honor soldiers who were involved in the evacuation mission in Kabul. But the question remains: Was the 20-year mission in Afghanistan in vain?
If you sit across from Afghanistan veteran Torsten *, you quickly notice how much it all upsets him, makes him desperate and angry. The soldier said that the images of the Taliban takeover had such an intense effect on him that at times, out of self-protection, he no longer heard any news. But what upsets the man who does not want to use his real name is most: Nobody from politics showed up when the last Bundeswehr plane landed in Wunstorf, Lower Saxony, after almost 20 years of service from Masar-i-Sharif at the end of June. “That was a slap in the face for every single soldier. It doesn’t matter where he served: in the Balkans, in Somalia or Afghanistan.”
Torsten once served at the Bundeswehr’s most dangerous location, Kunduz. From his point of view, all of this reflects the disinterest of politics and society in their armed forces: “That was disrespectful.”
It is a matter of course for Torsten that the Kabul airlift, which was also maintained by the Bundeswehr – in one of its most dangerous missions of all – is now being honored. Also that the Chancellor pays her honor to the soldiers: “That is simply their job. We soldiers cannot choose the tasks that are convenient for us either.”
Soldiers see a lack of appreciation
With which the man brings up a topic that the Bundeswehr was concerned with during the entire two decades of deployment: that it took politicians years to openly name dangers and dangers of death during deployment, that the Chancellor not only addressed the issue of Afghanistan, but also visits since 2013 gladly avoided in the country, the soldiers interpreted them as a lack of appreciation.
It is precisely this appreciation that Merkel wants to express: “The encounter, the direct conversation with the soldiers is an important concern for her,” emphasized Merkel’s spokesman, Steffen Seibert, before the visit to the paratrooper barracks in Seedorf.
Wunstorf’s mistakes should not be repeated
In a video distributed via Twitter and accompanied by dramatic music, the Ministry of Defense once again thanked the commander, Jens Arlt, and his contingent for the evacuation mission from Kabul. “All of us in Germany owe you and the men and women of the Bundeswehr your task force a very deep debt.” Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer emphasized this on the arrival of the troops after accompanying them on the plane from Uzbekistan. Wunstorf’s mistake, the absence of politics at the time, should not be repeated.
The Federal Armed Forces have “mastered a unique test with flying colors,” praised Union parliamentary deputy Johann Wadephul ARD capital studio the evacuation mission. In mid-October, an honoring of the soldiers in the Defense Ministry and with the “Big Zapfenstreich” in front of the Bundestag are planned.
“Are not mercenaries or robots”
Are politicians catching up on what they missed out on in public honor and public debate during the 20 years of service? With a view to ongoing missions like the one in Mali, with a view to upcoming missions, Torsten would like to see goals clearly stated and the population and the armed forces informed about the risks from the outset: “We are not mercenaries or robots. The population has to support these missions and we soldiers need to know what we’re getting into. “
Torsten finds it difficult to bear the fact that the Taliban are now again controlling Afghanistan, i.e. those Islamists whom he also fought, who fought him. Again and again he asks himself one question: Was it worth it? In view of the Afghans who were killed, their comrades who were killed, and those wounded in body and soul. The soldier has not yet found a definitive answer.
* Name changed