Those young people, who are turning 18 in Germany this year, will receive a letter asking about their interest in voluntary military service. Almost 300,000 letters have been sent, while only 530 have answered yes, as reported by ZDF and YLE.
For men, answering the questionnaire is mandatory. But for women, answering is voluntary. So far around 1 in 5 young men - who received the letter - have shown an interest in military service. 1,500 of these were called for further investigation, but only about 530 were recruited into the army.
Germany is trying to strengthen its army, which is suffering from a personnel shortage, but has so far stuck to voluntary conscription. Now efforts are being made to attract young people to the army, and not only professional soldiers, but also through voluntary military service.