Around mid-January, the first letters should arrive for those who will turn 18 in 2026, i.e. those born in 2008. Initially, this will be done by mail, since the state has the data from the address registration of the candidates, but not their emails. The letter will contain a QR code that leads to the questionnaire. From then on, everything will be done electronically, for example via mobile phone.
The letter also clearly states that military service is voluntary, and that it is possible to replace it with civilian activity, the public media outlet ARD reported.
What does the survey contain?
The name and address are known to the authorities, so this part of the questionnaire will be pre-filled, the publication continues. Then everyone must indicate their email address, level of education, whether they have already completed vocational training and a driver's license.
Questions about height, weight and physical fitness are also part of the survey. The most important question is how much interest the respondent shows in military service - young men and women must choose an answer on a scale of 0 to 10, with zero meaning no interest at all and ten meaning great.
Is it mandatory to answer?
For women, this is voluntary, for men - no, specifies the ARD. If young men do not fill out the questionnaire, they will receive a reminder. Refusal to fill out and send the questionnaire will be fined, as this is considered an administrative violation.
Providing false data is equally unforgivable. For example, if someone fills out the questionnaire that they are 1.60 meters tall and weigh 200 kilograms, and then it is found that this is not true at all, they give an example from the Ministry of Defense.
And after filling out the questionnaire?
Military service is voluntary. Anyone can say they are not interested. In that case, everything is over. It is possible that the Bundeswehr will not be able to invite everyone at the beginning - then a preliminary selection will be made, we learn more from the ARD publication.
Anyone who has indicated a ten in the questionnaire, i.e. that they are very interested in military service, will probably be invited more quickly. Then they will go to a medical examination, which, however, will look much different than before. The regional military services were often located far from the cities and resembled barracks. In the future, there will be 38 medical examination centers, which should be as accessible as possible and centrally located. Military service will be advertised in them, ARD also indicates.
Author: Gábor Halász (ARD)