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Old 06-16-2009, 13:22   #6
Richard
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: NorCal
Posts: 15,370
FWIW - from an old European FAO:
  • General Schneiderhahn is not the IG as we know it - the term GeneralInspecteur dem Bundeswehrs more accurately translates to Chairman of the Staff of the Federal Armed Forces - or- Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff as we call it.
  • The troops in the pic are typical Mech Infantry - What, me walk?
  • Bild is a daily - the largest in Germany - with a tendency towards reporting sensationalistic stories about on a par with the National Enquirer - and Bild one-ups The Sun by putting their bare breasted girls on the front page instead of inside on page three.
  • The German military - and population, in general - has been of a self-defense force mindset for over two-generations now - and that's a difficult one to change.
  • The Bundeswehr still has over 50,000 conscripts - which both the reservissts and volunteer forces treat like red-haired step-children. I know Schneiderhahn sought to change that mind-set a couple of years ago by promoting their availability for missions like base security and BSB functions, as well as supporting disaster relief within Germany - but I'm not sure how much any of the BW has really bought into his vision.
Taking the comments in Bild with a proverbial grain of salt and considering the historical development of the BW since 1954 - it seems as if there is progress to be made and editorials to be written.

Richard's $.02
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