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Germany’s army is so under-equipped that it used broomsticks instead of machine guns
Washington Post ^ | February 19, 2015 | Rick Noack

Posted on 02/19/2015 8:44:54 AM PST by C19fan

The German army has faced a shortage of equipment for years, but the situation has recently become so precarious that some soldiers took matters into their own hands.

On Tuesday, German broadcaster ARD revealed that German soldiers tried to hide the lack of arms by replacing heavy machine guns with broomsticks during a NATO exercise last year. After painting the wooden sticks black, the German soldiers swiftly attached them to the top of armored vehicles, according to a confidential army report which was leaked to ARD.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: army; germany
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I remember films of new US soldiers in basic training preparing to head to France in WW I training with sticks and soldiers in the Pre-WWII army using a wood carving of a machine gun during a supposed exercise. Germany only spends 1.3% of GPD on defense compared to the NATO standard of 2%. The worst part is this Bundeswehr unit is part of the NATO Rapid Reaction Force.
1 posted on 02/19/2015 8:44:54 AM PST by C19fan
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To: C19fan

Never saw anything like that 35 years ago...guess that’s what happens when you think the Russian bear would no longer like to eat you.


2 posted on 02/19/2015 8:48:29 AM PST by T-Bird45 (It feels like the seventies, and it shouldn't.)
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To: C19fan

They aren’t ready to defend their country, but at least they can play Quidditch.


3 posted on 02/19/2015 8:48:47 AM PST by Pollster1 ("Shall not be infringed" is unambiguous.)
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To: C19fan

“History”doesn’t”Repeat Itself”;We”Repeat History”because we REFUSE to LEARN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


4 posted on 02/19/2015 8:48:50 AM PST by bandleader
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To: Pollster1

‘Quidditch’

LOL! My very first thought, too!


5 posted on 02/19/2015 8:52:51 AM PST by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set...)
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To: C19fan

Somehow I still think they would be able to overrun Belgium and northern France in record time.


6 posted on 02/19/2015 8:54:11 AM PST by VanDeKoik
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To: C19fan

“the Pre-WWII army using a wood carving of a machine gun during “

I think the American Pickers found one of those last season.


7 posted on 02/19/2015 8:55:16 AM PST by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra (Don't touch that thing Don't let anybody touch that thing!I'm a Doctor and I won't touch that thing!)
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To: C19fan

You guys don’t get it. There are Muslims to be fed and housed.


8 posted on 02/19/2015 9:01:08 AM PST by denydenydeny ("World History is not full of good governments, or of good voters either "--P.J. O'Rourke)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

more.....

A defense ministry spokesperson said the use of broomsticks was not a common practice, and that the decision of the involved soldiers was ”hard to comprehend.” According to the ministry, the armored vehicles were furthermore not supposed to be armed. It remains unclear how many broomsticks were substituted for machine guns.

The awkward revelation on Tuesday came at the worst possible moment for Germany’s defense ministry. The same day, Ukraine’s army was about to suffer a defeat in the town of Debaltseve, putting a renewed focus on the question whether Europe’s NATO allies would be able to manage the crisis militarily – without an American intervention, if necessary.

To make matters worse, the broom-equipped German soldiers belong to a crucial, joint NATO task force and would be the first to be deployed in case of an attack...


9 posted on 02/19/2015 9:03:20 AM PST by Covenantor ("Men are ruled...by liars who refuse them news, and by fools who cannot govern." Chesterton)
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To: C19fan

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dad%27s_Army


10 posted on 02/19/2015 9:04:24 AM PST by lefty-lie-spy (Stay metal. For the Horde \m/("_")\m/ - via iPhone from Tokyo.)
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To: bandleader

Bandleader, please see below for proper use of punctuation.
Weird Al Yankovic: Word Crimes
http://youtu.be/8Gv0H-vPoDc


11 posted on 02/19/2015 9:07:29 AM PST by lefty-lie-spy (Stay metal. For the Horde \m/("_")\m/ - via iPhone from Tokyo.)
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To: C19fan

If this news gets around, some 8 year old kid is going to draw a picture of a broom and get expelled for creating a hostile school environment.


12 posted on 02/19/2015 9:10:36 AM PST by Kirkwood (Zombie Hunter)
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To: C19fan

To all: Please name the politicians who voted to lower the Defense Budget before the Korean War to such a low level that the American Task Force at the start of the Korean War had anti-tank weapons that just bounced off the front of the North Korean tanks?
Anybody? Nope. That’s why. We don’t hold the politicians responsible for their behavior. They should have rounded-up every politician who voted to cut the Defense Budget so low before the Korean War, and sent them all to the front lines.
It’s always “Joe” who pays the price with his blood and limbs and life for the politicians neglect.


13 posted on 02/19/2015 9:24:26 AM PST by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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To: C19fan
I have a wooden artillery shell that was made around WWII, to train crews on loading & firing. Some guy had the idea to make those, so they could save the real shells for the battlefield. The army ordered them, but I don't know if they ever had to use them. It's a pretty cool "conversation starter" now.

Looks like this:


14 posted on 02/19/2015 9:38:46 AM PST by Boogieman
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To: VanDeKoik

Modern German men? Maybe the rednecks out in the countryside. The educated, city class? They’d be using the brooms to clean and whining about the war cutting into their six weeks vacation.


15 posted on 02/19/2015 9:40:51 AM PST by riri (Obama's Amerika--Not a fun place.)
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To: Boogieman

My late Dad’s National Guard armory had a pair of those on display that they prized more than the real thing. When I was very young I got to polish them. ;-)


16 posted on 02/19/2015 9:41:59 AM PST by Billthedrill
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To: C19fan

Nothing has changed, the US IS NATO.


17 posted on 02/19/2015 9:42:07 AM PST by dfwgator
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To: VanDeKoik

The New Jersey State Police could overrun Belgium.


18 posted on 02/19/2015 9:45:00 AM PST by Farmer Dean (stop worrying about what they want to do to you,start thinking about what you want to do to them)
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To: C19fan

Lots of stories over the last year of just how unprepared, for anything, Euro militaries are.

The term “Paper Tiger” comes to mind.


19 posted on 02/19/2015 9:45:48 AM PST by tcrlaf (They told me it could never happen in America. And then it did....)
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To: tcrlaf

Isn’t this what everyone wanted after WWII?


20 posted on 02/19/2015 9:46:24 AM PST by dfwgator
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