What do you mean I need exercise?
Posted on 09/05/2004 6:11:30 PM PDT by blam
German heavy infantry sent out on exercise
By Kate Connolly in Berlin
(Filed: 06/09/2004)
German soldiers are too fat and increasingly unfit for duty and should undergo a rigorous exercise programme, according to the head of the army's medical corps.
Adml Karsten Ocker said rising numbers of rank-and-file soldiers were reflecting the "XXL-nation" that Germany as a whole was becoming.
"We're facing an epidemic-style increase of the overweight and under-trained," he told today's edition of Spiegel magazine. "The army is being swamped with under-average adolescents unable to perform."
Incidents of joint and back injuries among soldiers are rising due to their obesity, obliging the army to take on more physiotherapists.
Gen Wolfgang Schiederhan has ordered a rethink of the army's training programme, saying sport should form an obligatory part of the soldiers' activities. It has not been a requirement until now.
Adml Ocker backed the call. "Fitness programmes should be part of the entire time a soldier spends in the army," he said. The army's slogan, "A strong troop", should not "start to sound odd".
In Germany one in three young people are overweight and more than half of 16- to 18-year-olds play no sport.
The government recently announced cuts of £18 billion to the military budget. But it has resisted calls to scrap conscription, which many critics say has done little to help the army raise standards.
France surrenders!!!
This is the "Kerry" Brigade no doubt.
hahahahaha.... too many battles at Oktoberfest....
Next time we goto war with Germany it will
make it easier for us to make them surrender! ;)
Too much strudel in the Bund, I guess. And I thought Old Europe had determined that only Americans are lardasses.
In fact , France always do that .
Looks to me like somebody has woken up in the dear old Reich!
Maybe I can take my favorite German restaurant off my boycott list soon. I so miss their Spannferkel and Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte.
It's the skinny ones you gotta watch out for.
I like the title - "Heavy Infantry". Reminds me of heavy armor, but perhaps less appealing for a fighting unit.
The Bundesitzpinklerwehr?
They used to have Schwere Infanterie (heavy infantry) formations. I opened the link expecting some info on the Bundeswehr doing some kind of TO&E restructuring, or something. :-)
To "get in shape", and have limited training they should march on Paris. Think of the exercise they'd get. Hiking and bending over to pick up the french rifles. They needn't worry about heat stroke, as the french planted trees for them.
LOL. That was quick.
I heard in an email they had only just raised their terror alert level from "Run" to "Hide".
Apparently, the only two higher levels in France are "Surrender" and "Collaborate".
And, according to my source, this all may have been "precipitated by the recent fire which destroyed one of their white flag factories, disabling their military for the time being."
;o)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.