Tripling German reservists essential in this complex world, says Bundeswehr association chief
11:54 AM EST, December 22, 2023
"We ought to have around 100,000 regularly training reservists within a few years," said Patrick Sensburg of the Bundeswehr Reservist Association in an interview published by the weekly newspaper "Stern" on Thursday.
Sensburg simultaneously called for a tripling of the current number of active reservists in the Bundeswehr. He added emphasis by saying, "Regular service soldiers start wars, and reservists end them. This is an old saying, but it still holds relevance."
"Israel summoned 300 thousand reservists for good reason. We already have a large number of reservists in Ukraine for the same reason. So we need to discuss numbers," he added while speaking about the defense capabilities of the Bundeswehr and the current world situation. He highlighted the need for individuals with military training capable of "rapid redeployment in emergencies".
Journalists from "Tagesschau" report that the Bundeswehr approximates the number of its reservists to be around 930,000. Last fall, Boris Pistorius, head of the German Ministry of Defence, warned Europe about the potential danger of war and urged the army, as well as society as a whole, to get ready.
Source: PAP, Tagesschau