According to confidential military statistics, the Bundeswehr has received far fewer volunteer applications than needed to form the brigade that will station at NATO’s eastern flank in Lithuania. The figures, which focus on soldiers who have signed up for a two‑year deployment, show a particularly low uptake in the enlisted ranks that constitute the bulk of the unit.
The shortfall is evident in two key battalions: tank battalion 203 and mechanised infantry battalion 122. Existing volunteer numbers cover only between 28 % and 47 % of the required postings. While the plan is to staff these units this year and have them fully equipped and operational on the flank by 2027, the current recruitment pace falls far short of that goal.
A more alarming internal report from the Ministry of Defence, dated late January, highlights even deeper gaps for the brigade’s “new main forces”-artillery, reconnaissance, engineering, and support crews. In a nationwide survey covering 1,971 service posts, only about 10 % of the necessary volunteers had applied.
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius announced in summer 2023 that a fully equipped Bundeswehr brigade would be permanently based in Lithuania, with operational readiness targeted for 2027. Participation is voluntary, but the Ministry has offered substantial bonuses to attract personnel.
To address the crisis, the Defence Ministry has outlined a series of mitigation measures. Personnel services will send 43,000 information letters to all eligible soldiers. The military also plans to offer one‑day visits to Lithuanian barracks so potential volunteers can see the facilities firsthand. Additionally, the minimum required stay in Lithuania is being shortened from two years to one year, a change that had previously been mandated.
When asked for clarification, a Bundeswehr spokesperson admitted that the supply of volunteers remains insufficient. The internal data quoted is only a snapshot from the end of last year, and no reliable forecasts can yet be made about future application trends. The spokesperson emphasized that it is still unclear how volunteer numbers will develop over the coming months, and that recruiting a fully qualified brigade remains a significant challenge.