The Bundeswehr now needs more instructors for the new basic military service. In an internal directive, Inspector General Carsten Breuer and State Secretary Nils Hilmer ordered “innovative approaches to strengthen training capacity” the “Spiegel” reports. The directive stresses that the armed forces must reliably maintain sufficient training capacity for recruits while safeguarding the operational readiness of active units.
To increase instructor availability, Breuer and Hilmer set specific measures. Enlisted soldiers will now also be used in training roles, and the ministry plans to deploy more reservists. Reservists will receive a commitment premium that could reach up to 3½ times their initial salary.
The directive fundamentally redesigns the 12‑week basic training for the new service. Starting 1 May, the armed forces will offer a unified basic curriculum. Previously, branches such as the Army or Air Force tailored basic training to their specific needs. The new structure will base the training on a common “home‑defense foundation” which the paper says is urgently needed to strengthen the reserve.
The revised syllabus introduces new content. In addition to standard elements such as shooting practice, trainees will learn to operate drones. The curriculum also places a greater emphasis on building “individual resilience preparedness” teaching soldiers how to prepare for crisis situations in civilian life.