Physical Fitness Requirements from the German Military

Bundeswehr - Basis Fitness Test

Picture by Jörg Hüttenhölscher on Stock Adobe

The Bundeswehr is the military in Germany, consisting of different branches such as the Navy, Army, Air force...

Motto: "Wir Dienen Deutschland"
Translation "We Serve Germany"

Established in: "1955"

German Oath : „Ich schwöre, das Grundgesetz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland und alle in der Bundesrepublik geltenden Gesetze zu wahren und meine Amtspflichten gewissenhaft zu erfüllen, so wahr mir Gott helfe.“

ENG: I swear to protect the 'Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany' and all German laws, and will fulfill all my official duties with good conscious, so help me God.

To be able to join you need to be at least 17 years old and need to pass the B.F.T. Basis Fitness Test of the Bundeswehr.

Standards B.F.T. Bundeswehr

#	Exercises	Pass	Good	Great	Gold
1	Suicides	- 60 sec	- 48 sec	- 42 sec	- 35 sec
2	Inverted Flex Hang	+ 5 sec	+ 45 sec	+ 65 sec	+ 86 sec
3	0.6 Mile Run	- 6:30 min	- 4:40 min	- 3:45 min	- 2:45 min

Bundeswehr Formation

The test has to be taken in 1 hour and 30 minutes. Recruits have to take the test at the beginning and the end of the basic formation. Soldiers then have to take the test once a year and successfully pass. Standards count the same for women and men. Sometimes the 1km Run (0.6 miles) is replaced with an Ergometer (Stationary Bike)

Physical Requirements - other units

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Bundeswehr	KSK	Minentaucher
Kampfschwimmer	ZUZ	GSG 9
SEK	Polizei	Feuerwehr
Jakdo	Bundesheer	U.S. Army
Japan S.D.F.	Israel Army	Forsvarsmakten
Chinese Army	US Navy	Mexican Army
British Army	Forsvaret	Royal Marines
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Military Basic Training Bundeswehr

During the 3-months Military Basic Training for every Soldier in the German Military, the Soldier will familiarize himself or herself with various topics such as. First Aid to wounded comrades, Orienteering, Disguise and Deception, Weapons Handling, Preparation of Field Meals, Swimming, Survival in the Forest, etc... Furthermore, the soldier will learn about military rights, military duties, military history and learn to understand why the German Military exists.

The Physical Aspects of the Formation became harder in the last few years for recruits. Recruits are expected to do hours of heavy rucking through forest terrain, through mud and through the night time. Lots of workouts are geared towards effective movements such as pulling, carrying, and lifting. Soldiers are expected to ruck over 15 KM in distances at times.

B.F.T. Bundeswehr Video

Die Innere Führung

A term that stands for: "Leadership Development And Civic Education". It translates to Inner Guidance. The Bundeswehr according to the Innere Führung does not know unconditional Obedience. The final decision for any situation is to be taken by the consciousness of the individual. The soldier needs to be able to guide himself or herself. He or she must be historically, politically, and ethically informed to the best of their abilities. Only then can he or she take decisions and guide others.

The Innere Führung is also present in the ZDV - Zentrale Dienstvorschrift (Service Regulations of the German Military) and contains guidelines on how to behave with each other. Important aspects such as Freedom, Peace, Justice, Equality, Solidarity, and Democracy are important and steady aspects for the formation of German Soldiers. A German Soldier decides to put his or her life on the line to protect those values.

Bundeswehr Workout

Bundeswehr History

The Bundeswehr of Germany, known to have a powerful and colorful history, is, unfortunately, more so known for the bad. Previously it was named Wehrmacht, which was the military under Hitler. Before that, it was called Reichswehr in the Weimarer Republik. After World War I, the military was first disbanded, and then only allowed in limited size, under the Treaty of Versailles. This meant Germany was not allowed to have more than 100,000 soldiers. Germany violated the Treaty of Versailles in 1935, by re-introducing conscription into Germany. From then on, it went worse and worse. Die Schwarze Reichswehr, which became bigger and bigger, consisting of Sturmabteilung, and more units, was a paramilitary arm of the Wehrmacht. It is to say that the German Military cannot and should not be compared to Hitler's Military. Even though there is still racism in the military, it cannot be compared to the previous times. Nowadays, Germany is trying their best to keep their name clean and is involved in lots of peace missions.