Bundeswehr: From the old people’s home to reservists: Ex-Zivis register for the federal government

Thomas Hüser did not do his service for the fatherland in the barracks, but in the early 1990s as an old -age care assistant at Caritas in Gladbeck. But since the Russian attack on Ukraine, the 54-year-old ex- “civilian” has been thinking differently: “In view of the global threats, the service to the weapon is a question of solidarity action. Only strong forces can protect us.”

Hüser has withdrawn his refusal and subsequently declared the service at the Bundeswehr. He is now waiting for an answer from the “BUND” whether and when he will be moved in for training. “I am very excited.” With his decision, the communication specialist and manager, who today heads a zinc hut in Nordenham (Lower Saxony), is by no means alone.

Significantly more ex- “civilians” take back their refusal

The number of withdrawals or withdrawal of the refusal to do so has been growing nationwide since 2022, as a spokeswoman for the responsible Federal Office for Family and Civil Society reports in Cologne. In the year when Russia began his large -scale invasion of Ukraine, there were 487 waiver, 2023 as early as 536. After a further increase in the following year, it was 311 this year, which corresponds to more than 900.

Bundeswehr spokesman: opportunities in home protection

The spokesman for the Bundeswehr Landeskommandos NRW in Düsseldorf, Ulrich Fonrobert, is pleased with the change of expression. “Of course there are opportunities, especially among the home protection regiments,” he says. However, integration into the Bundeswehr requires some time-for example for the health check-up, the necessary security check and then the training with twice 14 days with unintraisal.

For a mid -fifties like Hüser, this could be scarce because of age. At the Homeland Protection Regiment 2 in Münster responsible for NRW, for example, because of the physical infantry requirements, younger men and women are particularly needed.

The decisive factor, however, is the impetus that assumes such decisions. “These are role models for others who are often younger,” emphasizes Fonrobert.

He received a lot of attention and approval from his workforce, reports Hüser. His group board in Switzerland also agreed: “If I have to go away for a few months to train, I can go.”

Henner Pasch, President of the IHK in Wuppertal and head of an IT company, has now also registered with the “Bund” as a former refusal. He sees considerable benefits in an emergency: “We are not very resilient for crises so far, Corona has shown that,” says the 44-year-old. “If we are attacked, I can help with my leadership experience and with my 11,000 contacts in my cell phone to organize the home protection in Bergische.”

Pasch like Hüser are not gun fans who want to “play war” in the advanced age, as both emphasize. “I’ve never shot down a real weapon,” says Pasch. “But if our democracy is attacked, we must not put our heads in the sand.”