Germany to triple reservist forces by 2035 with sweeping military reforms
"We should raise the age limit for reservists from 65 to 70," he told Germany's Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND).
"In our view, this makes sense on many levels. The retirement age is rising elsewhere, too. People are staying fit longer. We shouldn't waste the resources of those with life and professional experience. And if we're lamenting a shortage of young recruits, we should also make improvements at the other end of the age spectrum. This should be enshrined in the Reserve Strengthening Act."
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) is set to unveil a reserve strategy on Wednesday and present the Reserve Strengthening Act this summer.
Ernst went on to say: "We need to abolish the principle of voluntary participation for employers. They should not have the right to object when reservists are called up for exercises. However, we should not compel the reservists themselves." In any case, he stressed, planning is essential to determine how many reservists should take part in exercises each year, allowing both employers and employees to prepare accordingly.
The association's president, who was only elected on April 11, also called for reservists to be properly equipped and given meaningful training opportunities. "If we want to make a real breakthrough in personnel, we need to plan better here," he said.
Asked how many reservists there are, Ernst replied: "The Defense Ministry doesn't know the exact number, and it's not easy to determine. We do know that eight to nine million people have served in the Bundeswehr. We also know that around 60,000 reservists are currently assigned—meaning they are firmly integrated into the Bundeswehr's plans and can be deployed quickly. Under the Military Service Modernization Act, that number is supposed to rise to 200,000 by 2035. And we know the membership of our association, which stands at about 110,000. During the coronavirus crisis, between 10,000 and 15,000 reservists were activated. The task of the new military census will now be to pin down the precise figure."
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