5 THINGS I LEARNED IN THE BUNDESWEHR

Reading time: 4 minutes

1. Prepare EVERYTHING

In the Bundeswehr we prepare EVERYTHING. Every small thing that can be packed, prepped or simply laid out ready to hand gets done straight away.

The advantage:
We’re ready to move, whatever comes. Everything is laid out, every move is drilled, everyone knows his job. Even when something unexpected happens, the chaos stays within limits and we save valuable seconds.

It also feels a lot better to know that everything is done. Your head is free for other things.

2. Be more than you seem

I notice it almost every time: the people in the Bundeswehr who are best at what they do are also the quietest.

Special forces in particular, or other comrades with a lot of experience from deployments or special courses, never brag about it. Quite the opposite: they stay out of the spotlight, pass on what they know where it matters and just do their job. Quiet professionals.

And that’s exactly what earns them even more respect.

3. Punctuality

A good soldier is 20 minutes early rather than one minute late.

As a teenager I was extremely undisciplined and never on time. In the Bundeswehr I learned that it’s not about that one minute of delay. It’s about the whole mindset.

I get up on time, no matter how early the alarm goes off. I take my tasks on and finish them on time. And I don’t leave a comrade waiting on me because I’ve wasted time on nothing again.

There is a clear line between “taking life on” and “just letting life happen to you”. Being on time, every time, is a damn good start.

4. You don’t have to see the point right away

Sometimes things happen that look pointless. Situations where you see no value in it at all and just want to be somewhere else.

The best example: you dig a position for 40 minutes in freezing cold, only to be told by the squad leader that “we” have to build it somewhere else after all.

Looking back, every one of those situations taught me something worth having. Even if it was only learning to control my emotions (anger, frustration) and keep the long-term goal in sight.

You have two options: accept it as it is. Or be grateful for the experience, set your goals again and make sure you never end up in a situation like that again.

5. It’s okay to be proud of your country

In our barracks and compounds the flag goes up every morning and comes down every evening. When we see it, we stand still until it’s done and salute toward the flagpole. It always gives me a quiet sense of national pride.

That has nothing to do with racism or shutting anyone out. It simply means you respect and value the freedom of this country and the people who made sacrifices for it.

And that’s completely fine.

Good luck out there!

Shughart

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