Since the beginning of this year, the Bundeswehr has been sending letters to young people who will soon turn 18, asking them if they are ready for possible military service. By mid-June, around 298,200 letters had been sent, of which just over half - to boys who will soon come of age. Of these, around 96 percent had completed the mandatory questionnaire on time.
Just over 20 percent of the survey participants had expressed an interest in serving in the German armed forces. So far, 1,500 medical examinations have been carried out, and 530 people have been determined fit for military service and are currently scheduled to serve in 2026, the Ministry of Defense announced.
Significant increase in applications
The aim of the new military service is to attract more personnel to the Bundeswehr. Among the innovations are new service models and higher salaries. This seems to be paying off.
Since the launch of the new scheme in mid-January, the Bundeswehr has reported a significant increase in applications and new recruits. So far this year, around 38,500 applications have been received. This represents an increase of about 24 percent compared to the same period last year.
The number of new appointments has increased by 13 percent - to about 11,000, according to data from the Ministry of Defense.