Re: "official" german ...

[festusdirk@xxxxxxxx]

Zitiere Shawn Mulock <01340743@3web.net>:


> How goes the integration of the two forces, by the 
way?

wouldn´t call it integration. practically anything 
from eastern origin except some mig 29 was scrapped, 
sold or otherwise disposed. For example the use of the 
standard vehicle tool kit was discontinued as the hammer 
had a wrong weight, the winter clothing system (far 
better or at least warmer than ours) was sold in surplus 
shops.
i saw some tanzanian park rangers in former nva uniforms 
and trucks, so at least some material is really used for 
a good thing.
all eastern baracks are modernized, some just when they 
got closed for downsizing; the most modern training 
ground is on east german soil, so technically 
integration is reached (by now more western barracks 
need an update, it ther´d be any money to spent.

there is no real difference between the performance of 
,say, the schneeberg/saxony and 
garmisch-partenkirchen/bavaria mountain bataillons, but 
for traditional reasons it will be the saxon units that 
will be closed next. but all in all the downsizing hits 
garrisons all over the country. my former unit went from 
hannover, a state capital, railway hub and rather nice 
place to be, to Rotenburg/Wümme, a small county town in 
the middle of nowhere (well, the middle of a very flat 
part of lower saxony). afaik, they still recruit mainly 
from northwestern germany, as consripts and short-term 
nco are usualyy sent to units as near to hometowns as 
possible.

and the still existing units are always forced to share
with the forces send to former yugoslawia. i´ve heard of 
transport companies with three operational trucks, the 
rest cannibalized for spare parts. the augustdorf MP 
company, responsible for the 7.division area, say 100 
times 100 rather densely populated kilometers and with 
tenthousands of conscripts hitting the railway stations 
any weekend, usually have one opel (that´s vauxhall with 
left-hand-drive) astra station wagon (breakneck top 
speed 130km/h) to cover the area. friends told me when 
they had to take a volkswagen van for an emergency call, 
they shut blue lights and siren off as any truck was 
faster.
 
one thing is funny. soldiers from eastern germany still 
only receive about 90% of the regulation payment, 
regardless if serving near their hometown (living is 
slightly cheaper in some parts of estern germany)or 
anywhere else. for example "fernmeldafing", the signals 
school in feldafing, is located at the shores of lake 
starnberg, amidst munichs most expensive suburbs, still 
east german soldiers there are paid less than soldiers 
recruited on the other side of the long gone wall.

i´m glad i left soon enough...

festus

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