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Despite graduating from secondary school: Bundeswehr soldier has a stellar career – "Was bullied at school"

2023-05-09T03:25:03.650Z

Highlights: Bundeswehr soldier Manuela (40) has had a stellar career despite graduating from secondary school. Today, she teaches trainees how to drive a truck at the Fürst-Wrede-Kaserne in Munich. As late as 1955, women were forbidden to serve in the armed forces. Since 1975, women have been able to work in the medical service. In 2001, all careers were opened to women volunteers. In the meantime, more than 23,000 female soldiers are serving in the Bundeswehr.



Bundeswehr soldier Manuela (40) has had a stellar career despite graduating from secondary school. A fateful encounter was decisive for this. © Screenshot/Bayerischer Rundfunk (Video from 06.04.23: "What does a driving instructor earn in the Bundeswehr?" from the series "Is it worth it?")

As an 18-year-old, she would not even have dreamed of her current salary: The Bundeswehr soldier Manuela (40) has made a career despite graduating from secondary school.

Munich - More than 23,000 female soldiers are serving in the Bundeswehr throughout Germany. One of them is Manuela: Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR) recently put the 40-year-old in a video portrait in the format "Is it worth it?". An unusual curriculum vitae led her to the Bundeswehr. Today, she teaches trainees how to drive a truck at the Fürst-Wrede-Kaserne in Munich. A job with a salary that she could never have dreamed of years ago.

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High salary despite secondary school leaving certificate: Bundeswehr soldier teaches others how to drive

It's early in the morning, the sun hasn't risen yet. "Good morning, second train," Manuela shouts in the BR documentary to a group of soldiers standing in front of her. "Good morning, Mrs. Hauptfeldwebel," it echoes back. Shortly thereafter, she takes her trainee drivers to the practice hall. The 40-year-old is a driving instructor in the German Armed Forces. It takes soldiers, "Bundeswehr firefighters" and civilian employees of the Bundeswehr under its wing. They have already obtained their CE driver's license, i.e. a certificate for heavy trucks, "in civilian life" and are now to get to know the military guidelines.

Women soldiers in the history of the Bundeswehr

It was not always possible for women to pursue a career path like Manuela in the Bundeswehr. As late as 1955, women were forbidden to serve in the armed forces. But a lot has happened over the past decades: Since 1975, women have been able to work in the medical service. A few years later, women were allowed to pursue all careers in the medical and military music service. In 2001, all careers were opened to women volunteers. In the meantime, more than 23,000 female soldiers are serving in the Bundeswehr.

In order to test her candidates, she has mounted faults on a truck that need to be fixed. There is a reason for this: the soldiers are to be prepared for possible missions. "There are missions abroad, you can't just call the ADAC quickly." Among other things, basic driving tasks with an 18-metre-long truck in the Munich city area are also part of it. "Of course, a lot of people get tense. It's clear, the first time through Munich." But her life didn't always look like this.

Bundeswehr soldier got to know the harshness of life before her career: "Was often bullied"

Coming from a family of guest workers, Manuela got to know the hardships of life at an early age. "In secondary school, I was often bullied because of this." The Bundeswehr driving instructor always had the feeling: "You are not enough," she says in the BR interview. But she fought her way through. After an apprenticeship as a hairdresser, she often changes jobs. "I kept my head above water with jobs for years." She also worked at a gas station for five years. She earns only 900 euros, despite shifts.

In secondary school, I was often bullied.

Manuela, driving instructor in the German Armed Forces

Then she has a fateful encounter with a military service adviser who frequently came to refuel. "He changed my life," says Manuela. He approached her and asked if she would like to become a soldier. No sooner said than done: After her naturalization in 2008, Manuela embarked on the same career path, but not without hurdles. "I couldn't learn this as quickly as someone who has a high school diploma."

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Today, the effort is paying off: she earns an annual gross salary of almost 60,000 euros. As an 18-year-old, Manuela could never have imagined earning such a salary. "Besides marrying my husband, it was the best decision of my life."

You can find even more up-to-date news from Munich and the region on merkur.de/muenchen.

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2023-05-09

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