The proportion of underage Bundeswehr recruits rises to a record high. According to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, only people aged 18 and over are actually allowed to join the armed forces.
With parental consent, 17-year-olds can also be recruited as long as they are not deployed in armed guard service or in military conflicts. Even voluntary military service in homeland security involves weapons training. Despite criticism from outside, the traffic light government “does not want to forego’ its potential.