German parliament decides to celebrate military service with an annual Veterans’ Day

The German government has decided to make a special day every year to honor people who have been in the military. Many people in the country have not given much attention to them, so this is a way to recognize their service.

The plan was created by three groups in the government and the main opposing group, and almost all groups in the lower house of parliament approved it.

It says we should have a special day to honor veterans on June 15. It also means that injured German soldiers should get better medical care after they leave the military.

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told lawmakers that the motion is a strong and important signal of recognition and appreciation, and it is overdue.

After World War II, Germany did not like the idea of having a strong military or being involved in wars. It took a long time for the country to become more open to the idea of having a military after it reunited in 1990. The former leader Helmut Kohl did something that was not allowed by sending German medics to help the UN in Cambodia.

The German military started sending more soldiers to different countries, like Kosovo, Afghanistan and Mali, and this became a regular part of their activities.

In 2008, Germany made a new medal for bravery in the military. This allowed soldiers to earn the honor for the first time since World War II. A monument was made at the Defense Ministry in Berlin to remember soldiers who died while serving in the Bundeswehr. It was opened in 2009.

“But right now, not many people use the word ‘veteran’ in our society, and this needs to change,” said Johannes Arlt, a politician from Scholz’s center-left Social Democrats who was in the air force. “We want more people to see and appreciate our soldiers and veterans, so we want to have a veterans’ day in Germany. ”

The Bundeswehr started in 1955 as the military for West Germany. After 1990, it became the military for all of Germany. Over the years, more than 10 million people have worked in it.

Germany decided to update its army and spend more money on the military after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.