During the new conscription exams, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) said there will be no humiliations.
He told the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” that the medical professionals decide which tests are necessary, citing complaints that many men found intimate-area examinations humiliating in the past. “Obviously this will respect the principles of humane treatment” the minister assured.
Pistorius also replied to criticism from the Protestant church regarding the Bundeswehr recruitment slogan “Do what really matters”. “We want to attract the younger generation to contribute to security in the country where they live in freedom” he said. “That contribution can happen in the Bundeswehr or in civilian organizations. All that matters is security-without it, nothing else matters”.
He clarified that no one is forced to join the armed forces. “I’m aware from discussions with young women and men that many say they value freedom so much that after completing school they would like to serve for a few months”.