They study economics or computer science, cyber security, aeronautical engineering or cultural studies, psychology or sport – but they are primarily soldiers who qualify for leadership roles in the Bundeswehr. And as such, they have to regularly complete military exercises and provide proof of performance, for example in shooting. The majority of the young people who came to the shooting range on this spring day come from the field of political and social sciences. They did their military service before studying, and some had been in the Bundeswehr for a long time. They are focused on the matter, but the tone is relaxed. They don’t want to publish their last names – everything stays on the Internet, “the Russian reads along,” and who knows, they say, where they will be deployed later.
Claudia S.
“I’ve always been fascinated by the military,” says Klaudia S. The 30-year-old first studied political science in Erlangen before joining the Bundeswehr. She wants to give something back to society, “because Germany offers us so much freedom and social security.” Studying at the Bundeswehr University – she studies political and social sciences – is also very diverse. She volunteers to organize the shooting exercises and therefore has the opportunity to shoot more often and with different weapons. For her, it’s about the camaraderie and the physical and mental challenges, she says. On this day she is one of the few women at the target practice range. The fact that she would have to shoot people in an emergency “is largely ignored.” When she joined the Bundeswehr, she signed that she was prepared to “pay with the most valuable thing in the worst case scenario, my life.” Her parents come from Poland, where they have a more relaxed relationship with the military, she says. “They are proud of me.” Lieutenant Klaudia is already looking forward to the officer courses after graduation, “which will make me a complete soldier.”
Lucas B.
Lucas B. is going to Bosnia in two weeks. The 23-year-old will research there for his master’s thesis on sexual violence in the Yugoslav war and speak to experts. A difficult topic. “Just reading the first court rulings already affects you,” he says. During his studies he specialized in international law. It was always clear that as an officer he would one day be deployed abroad. “But the defense case was not the primary focus.” That changed suddenly with the Ukraine war. It makes you think about the future again, he says. In any case, his family was relieved that he had changed troops, from the Panzergrenadiers to electronic warfare. “A little further behind the front.” After his master’s degree, he wants to go to the officers’ school for strategic reconnaissance.
Luke G.
(Photo: Martina Scherf)
Luke G.
Lukas G. studies management and media. During his bachelor’s degree, he worked on augmented reality and, among other things, examined how a person’s emotions influence their performance. He says he built a virtual reality room for his master’s thesis. In two weeks he is flying to Malaysia for an intercultural research project. There the Bundeswehr University is cooperating with an offshoot of the British University of Nottingham. Lukas will study the consumption behavior of Malaysian test subjects and then compare it with that of German test subjects. The 28-year-old was with the police for three years before studying. “I was also allowed to be a citizen in uniform. But in the Bundeswehr the camaraderie is much stronger.” That means a lot to him. He wants to become a leader in the Panzergrenadiers. The camaraderie, he says, naturally includes women. “As long as everyone does their duty, I don’t make any difference.” On the contrary: in stressful situations, when psychological aspects are also involved, women are more empathetic. “I’m glad it exists.”
Paul R.
(Photo: Martina Scherf)
Paul R.
It was the attractive courses offered by the University of the Bundeswehr in Munich that motivated him to study here, but also “the certainty that you can live so well in Germany and that you have to protect that,” says Paul R. He is 22 years old, studies political and social sciences and wants to become a professional soldier. If that doesn’t work out because there might not be a need for him in the positions he wants, plan B would be: become a teacher. Paul is in army reconnaissance and would like to stay there. The fact that in these times there is talk of German society’s war capability and that one must prepare for national defense is particularly interesting for a political scientist, he says. “The course offers a lot of incentives to deal with the new situation and examine new foreign policy constellations. That’s exciting.” As a prospective soldier, you are told in job interviews or in basic training that a defense situation could occur. “But now it’s much more realistic. Everyone who wears a uniform has to be aware of that,” he says. “I would be a liar if I said I wasn’t afraid of war. But it doesn’t deter me.”
Jonas B.
Jonas B. wanted to join the navy as a child – ever since he was allowed to sail on one of the large sailing training ships with the Hanse Sail on the Baltic Sea. He dreams of one day commanding a large ship, whether it’s the Red Sea, the Baltic Sea, the Atlantic or the Pacific – “depending on what the order is, that’s where it goes.” Marine soldiers in particular have previously been sent on foreign missions as part of NATO. Of course, says the 24-year-old student of political and social sciences, the wars in Ukraine and Israel, “that was another shocking moment.” The scenes have moved closer, and he is also thinking about it. But with his commitment to the Bundeswehr, he decided to “go to extremes” in an emergency. He hasn’t regretted his career choice for a second. His friends also liked his decision. For many, the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine was a wake-up moment for them to sign up for voluntary military service. “I think that’s good, we need them.”