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Soldiers of the special forces command during an exercise
Photo: Kay Nietfeld / dpa
At the Bundeswehr-unit special forces command (KSK) there was at times a noticeable accumulation of right-wing extremist soldiers.
According to an interim report by the Bundeswehr Inspector General, Eberhard Zorn, around 50 members of the unit have been targeted by the Military Counter-Intelligence Service (MAD) since 2017 on suspicion of right-wing extremist activities.
Five of these soldiers were released, 16 others were transferred or have since left the KSK.
A right-wing extremist network that "works purposefully and purposefully to eliminate the free democratic basic order was not recognized," the 30-page report says.
According to this, only "a network of contacts and characteristics of different types and intensities between the individual people in focus, which seems to be carried by a common mindset," became known.
Basically, the Bundeswehr leadership is surprisingly satisfied with the progress made so far.
Inspector General Eberhard Zorn writes in the report that everyone involved “contributed with great commitment and thus achieved a great deal in a short time”.
With a lot of new staff, there was talk of 80 new posts, a breath of fresh air came into the encrusted association.
Literally, Zorn wrote that the reallocation would be "a realignment of the KSK".
The KSK has been in the negative headlines for months.
Since 2019 there have been repeated indications that right-wing extremist soldiers were tolerated in the association.
In the early summer of 2020, a real arsenal was found in the garden of one of the unit's trainers.
The KSK soldier, now classified as a right-wing extremist by the Bundeswehr, had diverted the ammunition over the years and buried it with Nazi propaganda at home.
Since then, the KSK has been on probation, or so Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer says again and again.
She has tasked the Inspector General with an extensive reform of the association.
She immediately dissolved the second KSK command company because right-wing extremist suspected cases had accumulated there.
Literally, the minister repeatedly spoke of a "wall of silence", as the soldiers covered each other.
According to the latest report, however, the company's grave fears have not been confirmed.
The unit had become known nationwide in 2017 through a more than tasteless farewell party for a former commander, because there was right-wing rock and the Hitler salute is said to have been shown.
In addition, the soldiers completed a kind of medieval course and competed in throwing pigs' heads.
Most of the soldiers, however, are still at the KSK headquarters in Calw.
Only 26 soldiers who were also present at the so-called "pig's head party" were transferred or dismissed.
No evidence of extremism was found in another 65 men from the scandal company, so they were distributed to other companies.
In general, according to Zorn in his report, “awareness and sensitivity” have increased in matters of extremism and the KSK is “on the right track”.
KSK fighters also hired themselves as tattoo artists and gardening helpers
In general, Zorn's report reads hopefully.
Of the 60 targeted reform steps, 39 have now been implemented.
Nevertheless, you still need a lot of patience in the process.
The Green defense expert Tobias Lindner said the interim report shows "that the KSK has developed a lot of open construction sites through its biotope existence in the Bundeswehr."
“This not only applies to right-wing extremist incidents, but also to the handling of ammunition, violations of contract awards and excessive secondary activities, according to Lindner.
The confidential list of the sideline jobs of 160 elite warriors, which SPIEGEL has at its disposal, reads in part rather bizarre.
There are harmless part-time jobs like that of a skydiving instructor.
Other commandos, however, were creative and hired out tattoos or as grave and garden helpers.
Still others worked as DJs or as drivers for actors and other celebrities.
After reading the list, some generals wondered how much time the KSK has for such part-time jobs.
Almost 100 KSK contracts awarded without an award procedure
The ministry is meanwhile trying to clear up further violations of the rules by the unit.
Services and benefits in kind are said to have been ordered from companies for many years, but not advertised, according to the ministry.
In a random sample of 200 award procedures, 97 the unique selling proposition of the contractor was claimed, mostly wrongly.
The ARD first reported the numbers on Tuesday morning.
The examination for the period between 2014 and 2020 by the Federal Office for Infrastructure, Environmental Protection and Services of the Bundeswehr was initiated, among other things, by information in internal reports.
The services that the KSK ordered include training by external companies, ordnance defense or clothing.
DER SPIEGEL recently reported, among other things, on suspicious trips by the unit to Namibia, which apparently took place with a former comrade.
Both the KSK in Calw and the Bundeswehr service center in Bruchsal were examined at the beginning of this year.
The ministry emphasized that there are very narrow limits to the direct award of contracts.
If the unique selling point is asserted, then the market must first be screened for other providers and this must also be documented.
In many cases this was not the case.
Large contracts should have been put out to tender;
three comparison offers should have been obtained for smaller ones.
In some cases, the Bruchsal authorities were also able to get past the "Handgeld für Kommandoure" (cash for commanders), and in some cases they were involved too late.
The service center is now being examined for sufficient staffing levels: This concerns the assigned posts - i.e. the positions - and their occupation.
fek / mgb / dpa
