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

The German government decided to make a special day to honor people who have served in the military. This is important because military service is not always appreciated in Germany.

The plan was made by different groups in the government and the opposition. Almost all the parties in the parliament liked the plan.

It says we should celebrate “veterans’ day” in a public way every June 15. It also asks for better medical care for people who were hurt during their service in the German military, the Bundeswehr.

“The motion is a very important and long overdue show of recognition and appreciation,” said Defense Minister Boris Pistorius to the lawmakers.

After World War II, Germany didn’t like war and using military force. It took a long time for the country to become less focused on its military after it reunited in 1990. The former leader Helmut Kohl did something that Germans didn’t usually do by sending military medics to help the U. Nin another country. In 1992, a project was started in Cambodia.

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

In 2008, Germany made a new award for bravery in the military. This was the first time since World War II that soldiers could earn this honor. A memorial for soldiers who died serving in the German military was created at the Defense Ministry in Berlin and opened in 2009.

But even now, “the word ‘veteran’ is not used much in our society, and this needs to change,” said Johannes Arlt, a politician with Scholz’s center-left Social Democrats who has been in the air force. “We want to honor and acknowledge our soldiers and veterans by having a veterans’ day in Germany so that they can be seen and appreciated more. ”

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

Germany started to update its army, called the Bundeswehr, and spend more money on its military after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.