In Bavaria, more minors were recruited into the Bundeswehr last year. In 2023, 2,484 new soldiers were added to the Bundeswehr in the Free State. 344 of the recruits were 17 years old at the time of their recruitment – that corresponds to a proportion of 13.9 percent. This emerges from an overview that the Federal Ministry of Defense provided upon request.
Last year, the proportion of 17-year-olds among recruits in Bavaria was 10.9 percent, and in 2021 it was 9.4 percent. At the same time, the number of recruits in Bavaria continued to rise. In 2022, 2,471 new soldiers were hired in the Free State, compared to 2016 in 2021.
The development in the number of underage recruits does not correspond to the federal government’s goal. The SPD, Greens and FDP had agreed in the coalition agreement that training and service with weapons should be reserved for adult soldiers. The government cabinet in the Free State, in turn, passed the draft for a “law to promote the Bundeswehr in Bavaria” in January.
Among other things, it stipulates that the Bundeswehr is also allowed to introduce itself at career orientation events. In addition, state schools should work with youth officers as part of “political education”. At the same time, there should be no mixing of political education and recruitment for service, it was said.
The number of underage recruits also increased nationwide in 2023. Of around 18,800 new soldiers in 1996, they were 17 years old at the time of their recruitment – a proportion of 10.6 percent after 9.4 percent in the previous year. The Federal Ministry of Defense stated that 17-year-old applicants would only be hired “if they pass a comprehensive physical and psychological aptitude test.” The military training also takes into account extensive protection regulations for minors: “Specifically, this means: no participation in guard services or foreign missions, use of the weapon only for training purposes.”