BERLIN, 23 Feb. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius clashed with resistance to his plans to reduce the number of inspectors general in the Bundeswehr, as part of a planned reform to modernize military structures, Bild reports.
«Boris Pistorius wants to make the Bundeswehr fit for war. To do this, the Minister of Defense wants to restructure the troops. The goal: more compact and combat-ready structures,» the publication writes.
Since a number of senior generals would lose their jobs in such a scenario, Pistorius allegedly had difficulty communicating with the most senior representatives of the Bundeswehr, according to Bild.
Thus, in mid-February, a meeting of the country’s Supreme Military Council was held, at which all six inspectors general of the Bundeswehr were present, and the inspector and chief physician of the Bundeswehr headquarters, Ulrich Baumgertner, whose position could be reduced during the modernization of the army, expressed his disagreement with the ministry’s plans.
The position of logistics inspector should also be abolished. According to Pistorius’s plans, from now on four inspectors in the target areas of land, air, sea and cyberspace will have to manage all processes of the army. The military sanitary department and the army logistics management department will be merged into one, and they will be led by a commander below the rank of inspector.
Pistorius also intends to restructure two command centers in Berlin, responsible for soldiers in international missions and those serving in Germany. Thus, the Secretary of Defense plans to give the authority to manage missions at home and abroad to one center, which could also result in the layoff of one of the three-star generals running the command centers.
According to Bild, the plan has raised concerns among Bundeswehr Inspector General Carsten Breuer, who is the highest-ranking four-star soldier. In his assessment, this could allegedly lead to the emergence of “an overly powerful three-star general.”
Pistorius intends to officially announce the new reform in early April. Until then, as the publication notes, the minister has only five weeks to reach an agreement with the military.