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| Europe |
| "[German] Mistakes Happen in Every War" |
| 2007-03-20 |
| Marco Seliger, editor-in-chief of "loyal," a Bundeswehr reservists' magazine, praised German military training. Nevertheless, there's no guarantee that soldiers won't make mistakes in threatening situations, he added. DW-Word.DE : How would you compare the Bundeswehr's training with that of the US armed forces? That's a comparison that can't be made. But I'll make a couple anyway... The Bundeswehr attaches greater importance to intercultural competence and the soldiers are familiarized with local culture and conditions. That's something the Americans have neglected for a long time. We also provide medical training and teach our soldiers how to avoid hidden explosives. And we bring up the question of whether to shoot or not to shoot. Our soldiers don't just crawl around on the battlefield and practice military things, which some people associate with US training. "...military things" Chocolate makers... |
| Posted by:mrp |
| #7 Perhaps the Bundeswehr should "attach more importance" to, ya know, "military things" like being able to fight and secure an objective. All I've heard re Afghanistan has been similar to what OldSpook said. Pathetic. And it's not like other European countries, where their military does outstanding work in Iraq (and schemes and begs and cheats to get there, and go back again), and thinks it the zenith of their professional lives to work with the US military in an important conflict zone - even while their political class back home barfs on our noble efforts and tut-tuts about something or other in ridiculous fashion. I'm sure there must be some, but I've yet to see/hear a German politician say something sensible or supportive of the US. Gotta keep the Bundesmarine in mind, though. Hear tell they've done fine work in the Indian Ocean since 9/11. |
| Posted by: Verlaine 2007-03-20 23:41 |
| #6 The French army, as a whole, oes exceed the German Army now. If France wanted payback, now's the time. Not that it would make much of a difference. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2007-03-20 22:54 |
| #5 Just don't call them "Krauts", though. |
| Posted by: mrp 2007-03-20 15:55 |
| #4 damn thats pretty low JFM |
| Posted by: sinse 2007-03-20 15:43 |
| #3 My direct military experience was limited to a year as a draftee in the command company of a combat engineer regiment in the French Army. Meaning that we were near the bottom of the barrel (I fired less rounds in a whole year than a Marine fires in two days of training). But in 2003 I was appalled to find German soldiers shopping for alcohol in a supermarket and that 11am in a working day and in uniform. It wasn't the uniform for soldiers on leave but combat uniform meaning that they were probably not off duty. And this was not an isolated incident as two years later I saw again groups of soldiers in supermarket. My feeling was that the Bundeswehr has fallen still lowest that my bottom of the barrel French regiment |
| Posted by: JFM 2007-03-20 12:28 |
| #2 An this is why the German troops have been utter coawrds and sucked badly in the very few combat situations that have arisen in their very easy sector in Afghanistan. They tend to break contact and run away rather than confront. Its almost like the police in the movie "Demolition Man". Rommel and Frederick the Great and all those tough as nails German soldiers trhoughout history must be doing several thousand RPM right now. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2007-03-20 11:58 |
| #1 "That's something the Americans have neglected for a long time." Nonsense. When I was in the Navy in 1972, we had to have a cultural briefing before we went on a show the flag tour to South America and Africa. And the fellow who did the presentation had been doing it a long time. |
| Posted by: Rambler 2007-03-20 11:13 |