German Army Suspends Officer Promotions, Sparks Discontent
According to a report by Reference News Network on May 20, the German newspaper Welt reported on May 17 that the Bundeswehr has suspended the promotion of non-commissioned officers at an inappropriate time, leading to internal conflicts.
The Bundeswehr's Chief of Staff, Carsten Breuer, announced the suspension of promotions for ranks such as sergeant, citing a court ruling as the basis. The ruling stated that using only service time as a basis for promotion is illegal, and evaluations should carry greater weight. The Bundeswehr plans to implement a new promotion system starting in 2027. In the meantime, promotions for certain ranks will be frozen.
Breuer acknowledged in a post on Instagram that promotions would be delayed: “This is not an ideal situation, and I don’t like it either.”
On the 17th, Tobias Blüsdorf from the Bundeswehr Soldiers' Association criticized the upcoming regulation as another blow to already damaged trust, and deemed it unacceptable for active personnel.
This issue involves whether thousands of sergeants can be promoted to senior sergeant major. In the past, non-commissioned officers typically received this promotion after 16 years of service. However, the court found this to be contrary to performance principles, thus requiring more consideration of evaluations from superiors in promotion decisions.
Bild reported that Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is well aware of the sensitivity of this decision. An internal document from the Ministry of Defense reportedly indicated that the situation could not be “resolved smoothly or quietly.” Ultimately, Breuer had to step forward to announce this unpopular measure.
The report cited the Bundeswehr Association stating that freezing promotions “could lead to catastrophic consequences.” The treatment of long-serving personnel has long been a source of dissatisfaction. Additionally, the practice of aggressively recruiting new soldiers with generous conditions has exacerbated this sentiment, as these benefits are not available to soldiers who enlisted earlier. (Translated by Zhong Sirui)
The German Armed Forces suspended promotions for sergeants in May 2023 due to a court ruling that deemed service time alone an insufficient basis for promotion. This decision, which affects thousands of personnel, has been criticized by military associations as damaging to trust and morale. A new promotion system is set to be implemented in 2027, freezing some promotions until then.
- German Armed Forces suspended promotions for sergeants due to a court ruling.
- The ruling states that service time alone is not a valid basis for promotion.
- The new promotion system will be implemented in 2027, freezing some promotions until then.
- Military personnel associations criticize the decision as damaging to trust.
- The decision affects thousands of sergeants who typically would be promoted after 16 years of service.