They don't make the Germans like they used to (except whereas drinking is involved).

[The antihero]

Link.

A German parliamentary report has revealed that in 2007 German forces in Afghanistan consumed about 1.7 million pints of beer and 90,000 bottles of wine. During the first six months of this year 896,000 pints of beer were shipped to German forces in Afghanistan. British and US bases in the country enforce a strict ban on alcohol.

The physical condition of the soldiers was already in question after a German armed forces report found that 40 per cent of its soldiers aged 18-29 were overweight, compared to 35 per cent of the civilian population of the same age.

Personally I find THIS much more scandalous.

German Tornado aircraft are limited to unarmed reconaissance

German Medevac helicopters have to be back at base by dusk

German forces limited to the northern areas of the country where there is a lower level of fighting (though the level of fighting there is now beginning to change)

US forces have been very frustrated by the caution of German rules of engagement - German troops operating alongside US forces have refused to open fire on occasion for fear of causing civilian casualties.

[Dozer523]

Originally Posted by The antihero

Link.

in 2007 German forces in Afghanistan consumed about 1.7 million pints of beer and 90,000 bottles of wine. During the first six months of this year 896,000 pints of beer were shipped to German forces in Afghanistan.

I'm sure almost all of it was consumed at ISAF HQ! What a beautiful beirgarten they have there!

[Richard]

Half a century of manning east-ward facing manure sumps in the Fulda Gap to place your armored vehicles in a hull-down defensive posture followed by a decade without a mission will do that to an army. The Bundeswehr and the German national will of today are very similar to that of the French military and people prior to 1939. Prosit!

Richard's $.02

[AngelsSix]

Wow. I a am starting to think I am in the wrong military, no?? Okay, just kidding.

Seriously, this is a complete waste. I wonder how the German taxpayers view it. And how come the Muslims aren't running riot in Germany? Why aren't they in the news every day as the "Great Satan"? Seems like someone is a little confused. Maybe we should have realized a long time ago that we don't have to follow the rules of the "host" nation to fight a damn war.

[The antihero]

Originally Posted by AngelsSix

Wow. I a am starting to think I am in the wrong military, no?? Okay, just kidding.

Seriously, this is a complete waste. I wonder how the German taxpayers view it. And how come the Muslims aren't running riot in Germany? Why aren't they in the news every day as the "Great Satan"? Seems like someone is a little confused. Maybe we should have realized a long time ago that we don't have to follow the rules of the "host" nation to fight a damn war.

That's what I wondered as well. But I suppose there's a lot of planning in the occasional muslim "outrages" that pop up here and there. I remember when the Brits had troops in Basra, the press in the UK came up with some scandal (soldiers beating helpless iraqis and the like) everytime a political decision reguarding their military commitment was due. Something similar happened in Italy and Spain with supposedly embarassing videos coming up just before the elections or a vote in the Parliament and the like. Perhaps this time they didn't get the memo.

[FILO]

Wow, I spent a considerable amount of small unit training with the Fallschirmjaegers out of Calw during the 1980s. Those boys were fit and didn't fallout on the several 20 plus mile humps we did over hills and dales throughtout central-south Germany. Times have changed.