As of: March 27, 2024, 4:17 p.m
Comments
Press
Split
The mine hunting boat “Bad Bevensen” leaves the Kiel naval port.
© Axel Heimken/dpa
Inka von Puttkamer is the new commander of the 3rd minesweeping squadron in Kiel.
This makes her the first woman to head a naval combat unit.
Seafaring runs in her family.
Kiel - The first woman has been at the head of a combat unit in the German Navy since Wednesday.
For her it is “a return to a homeland she loves, to a channel that is familiar to me,” said the new commander of the 3rd Minesweeping Squadron, Inka von Puttkamer, at a ceremonial roll call at the Kiel naval base.
Along with another female soldier, she was already the first woman to become a commander in the Navy.
In Kiel she was commander of the minehunter “Homburg” and deputy commander of the 3rd minesweeping squadron.
Von Puttkamer is the mother of three children.
The 41-year-old, who was born in Wilhelmshaven, also wants to be a role model in her new role.
“The Bundeswehr offers my husband and I the opportunity to be in leadership positions and to be able to combine that with the family,” she said on the sidelines of the ceremony.
“Without question: This is stressful and requires a lot of organization and pre-planning.
But it is possible.” She would like the change of command to be accompanied by the message that the Bundeswehr enables women to take on such positions.
Family naval tradition
Von Puttkamer was most recently at the NATO maritime headquarters in Northwood.
She will return there by summer.
“For now, I will still be living in Great Britain to enable our children to finish the school year there,” she said.
She wants to move to Kiel in the summer.
“We have our family home here and we also have family support here.”
The von Puttkamers family has a great naval tradition.
Her father Ingo Splettströmer is a retired sea captain.
Her husband Bogislav-Jesko von Puttkamer is a frigate captain and is expected to take command of a frigate in Wilhelmshaven in the coming weeks.
Her father-in-law Hubertus von Puttkamer is a retired flotilla admiral.
The squadron includes ten minehunters.
Soldiers recently discovered a 1.8-ton British air mine during an exercise in the Kiel Fjord.
According to police, it was the largest unexploded bomb from the Second World War ever found in Schleswig-Holstein.
On Tuesday, experts from the explosive ordnance disposal service recovered the so-called blockbuster and defused it on a floating pontoon.
First female commander of a naval battle group
“There is a lot to do, especially for the Navy’s mine countermeasures unit,” said the commander of Operational Flotilla 1, Flotilla Admiral Sascha-Helge Rackwitz.
He is proud and happy to be able to trust in such an energetic and competent colleague.
The first female commander of a combat unit has proven over the years that she is one of the best in her field.
It is time to use a woman in this role to show that there are no limits and no glass ceilings in the Bundeswehr.
Von Puttkamer succeeds frigate captain Carsten Schlüter (43) as commander.
“It is more than difficult for me to hand over the third minesweeper squadron today,” he said as he said goodbye after 18 months.
The incidents with the Nordstream pipelines have brought the topic of underwater warfare back into focus.
“This means that the topic of mines has finally been freed from its niche existence of the last few years.” It must be clear to everyone that the Navy still has a lot of homework to do in this area.
“But things are moving.” He moves to the naval command in Rostock as adjutant to the naval inspector.
His successor spoke of an honor to now lead the association.
“On the other hand, it obviously means a prominent position for me in these times because defense and security have become very important again in the last two years.” She feels well prepared.
Sea travel is always dangerous because the crew is always on duty from the moment they set sail.
“Because everything that happens is sharp.
That’s what’s special about seafaring.” She particularly enjoys managing people.
My news
Baby happiness after the end of his career: Olympic ski champion becomes a father for the first time a few days after retirement
32 mins ago
Bankruptcy of German industry giant: next traditional company goes bankrupt
“Technical problems” with the Leopard: Denmark points to Germany after bumpy Ukraine donation
49 mins ago
Accident with five deaths on the A9 near Leipzig: Investigators provide initial information about the cause
Is the end of Putin's Ukraine war coming?
Kremlin sources reveal possible plan for Kharkiv
Sweater, park bench, daffodils: The hidden messages in Princess Kate's video reading
According to the Bundeswehr, the armed forces currently have 24,418 female soldiers.
At 13 percent, this is still a comparatively small proportion.
There are 6,950 female officers.
There are 1,728 women serving in the Navy, significantly fewer than in the Army (4,673) and the Air Force (2,632).
dpa