Since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the conversation on European security has changed dramatically. A massive war has returned to European soil.
Aside from Western support for Ukraine, Germany’s own troops have returned to the national focus – rekindling debates over the state of Bandeswale.
One topic that has resurfaced in recent months is the discussion of the reintroduction of forced military service. In 2011, then CSU Defense Minister Karl Theodorzou Guttenberg suspended drafting citing cost concerns.
While drafting is not set to be revived anytime soon under the new coalition agreement between the CDU/CSU and the SPD, the shortage of military personnel remains a pressing issue.
A few weeks ago, 31-year-old soldier and content creator David Matei appeared on German talk show panel Hart Aber Fair. He acknowledged that Vandeswale has flaws, challenges and problems that “we need to tackle,” but “To me, Germany is one of the most successful democracies of our time. Germany is worth it!”
Not only is Matey an active soldier, but he too Influencer. His goal is to bring his security policy closer to Gen Z.
Euroneus spoke about his 31-year-old career and the ability of social media to bridge the gap between youth and Vandeswale.
Euronows: We were about the same age and had nothing to do with Bundeswehr when we were younger. How did you decide to join the Army when you were 18?
David Matei: I have a picture of me from my fourth grade and I’m dressed head to toe with camouflage. Camouflage converse, green rucksack, hydrogen blonde hair, holding a soft pistol during military salute. At the time, it was cool to run around the forest with the boys and pretend to be a soldier. When I bumped into puberty, that phase disappeared.
I had no personal or family connections with Vandeswale. My father had to serve in Romania for the Warsaw agreement. He often talked about the time – like the classic humiliation he endured, rubbing the floor with his toothbrush, knowing from films and stories. These accounts gave me a negative impression of military service.
When I turned 18, I really didn’t even know what forced military service was. A letter from Vandesway then arrived. Suddenly, for the first time I had to confront the topic.
I felt the same way that all the boys were sitting with me in the back row of the classroom. We all received this letter and agreed to one thing. We wanted to decide for ourselves what to do after school. I didn’t want to tell anyone what path I should take. That was this very basic instinct. The moment you are forced to do something, you don’t want to do it immediately. I see that feeling in many young people today – and I really get it.
Others already knew what they wanted to do after their high school exams. I didn’t. So I looked at Bundeswehr Flyer again. I completely refused it before and called them out, “I can’t, I have ingrown toenails, I don’t want to, it’s not just for me!”
But again, it was a flyer. And honestly? The first thing that caught my eye was pay. The second was this vague sense of adventure, doing something different, leaving and leaving. So I called the district recruitment office again and said, “Hey, my toenails are growing straight again. Did you end up getting something for me?”
The next thing I knew, I was out for a medical assessment. I wanted to join the mountain army. But it wasn’t that easy, I had to trick my way a little. At the time, I was skinny and emo. Long, dyed hair on the pier, straightened daily with 20 euros flat iron, 10 kg of hairspray and eyeliner.
In the middle of my medical checkup, I ran to the bathroom with just my underwear and hanging over the sink, feeling stomach ache. I then rushed to the Army doctor and then returned to scale. She looked at me and said, “Sorry, half a kilo is still too light.”
I asked her: “Can’t we solve anything? Are there any exceptions?” She told me I had to promise to eat properly and exercise. In the end I was categorized as T2 instead of top fitness level (it was T1), but that’s enough.
I finally got a place with the Mountain Army and signed up for nine months. Of course, I didn’t notice that I was underweight. I was surrounded by big, strong soldiers, but like a cliched Hollywood movie, I struggled to catch up behind the formations. The beginning was really difficult. But at one point I had my little “glow” and it actually started to become fun.
In addition to mountain infantry training, there was a lot of political and ethical education during basic training. We spent much time studying the Soldier’s Oath, the loyalty to the Federal Republic of Germany, and the duty to bravely defend the rights and freedoms of the German people.
Of course, training in the mountains was intense and exciting, but what gave real meaning to me was knowing it served a higher purpose. Because of our nation and our free and democratic constitutional order.
Ultimately, that’s why I decided to expand my service to 15 years. I always say: I came for money, but stayed for free, democratic basic order.
Euronows: I think many young people had negative images of Vandeswale before Russia’s attack on Ukraine. How did your friends and family react when you signed up for 15 years?
David: At first, the people around me were barely aware of it. When the words came up that I had joined Vandeswale in the last week of school, not only did the mountain army, but most people couldn’t believe it. They will say something like this: “You will not last for three days. Only elite soldiers will make it in the mountain army! What are you doing there with your long dark hair and skinny jeans?”
My early years even told my crying mom in front of the whole class three days later I was going home. It really stuck to me. Then, as I was about to give up during my basic training, I kept reminiscing about the moment. It pushed me to keep chasing.
In terms of how soldiers are perceived, I remember being treated more actively in the United States as a German soldier than I had returned home. When I’m 18 or 21 and visit the state, people come to me at the bar and say, “I’m grateful for your service.”
During the one unfolding, we were walking through Times Square in New York in uniforms, but people kept us stopping, and even police officers wanted to take photos with us.
That left an impression on me. Of course, I hope that Germany has had such a gratitude. At the same time, I think it’s a good thing that democratic people like Germany are critical of the military. That’s why there are things like parliamentary reservations and military council chiefs. But much has changed, especially since the full-scale Russian invasion.
The current councillor summed it up well in her latest report: “We went from ‘friendly indifference’ to ‘interesting friendly familiarity’. ”
You will notice it in your daily life as well. Whenever someone rings me while I was in my uniform I was like, “Oh, no.” Now it’s often a thumbs, a smile, a nod. Just recently someone knocked on my car window at a red light to thank my service. I was a bit confused at first, but honestly – it was just good.
Elderly people often say, “I was a soldier too,” then talk about their time in the military, the Cold War. With young people, I feel a real curiosity. Perhaps because they no longer have a personal connection to Vandeswale. Most of them know no one in the army. They ask: “Wait, are you in Vandeswale? It’s wild. What do you actually do all day?”
Older generations usually talk about themselves. Young people ask questions. So we create content to fill that gap.
Euronows: As a soldier, have you ever thought about leaving Bundeswehr to go to Ukraine? There is a foreign army, and many foreign soldiers have joined the Ukrainian forces since 2022.
David: As an active soldier in Vandeswale, fighting for another army is not simply an option for me – I have never really thought of it.
But I talk a lot with Ukrainian soldiers. Just two weeks ago I was invited to join a project with the UK Ministry of Defense as a content creator. I had the opportunity to see how Ukrainian recruits were trained outside of Ukraine as part of Operation Interlex. This is the biggest training mission for Ukrainians since 2022, with over 50,000 soldiers so far being trained.
I had a lengthy conversation with a 25-year-old Ukrainian soldier about whether he was voluntarily here and how he was dealing with the whole situation, and how he was experiencing his experience. He had 50 days of training before being sent to the frontline.
It was incredibly emotional for me. The idea that he could unfold in an emergency next week and that he might not bring it to life was deeply unsettling.
As someone who trained as an executive for seven years, that is a stark contrast. The young man, who previously worked as a computer scientist, is expected to be trained and fought as a soldier in just a few weeks. How does he feel? And what does that mean to me – as a soldier who has never been to war? Does that make me less valuable as a soldier?
And of course, it brings me back to what our Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said: Vandeswale should prepare for war so that he must go to war. Deterrence ideas.
Even if I was not deployed, my presence as a soldier contributes to deterrence and, in that sense, probably helps prevent war.
Euronows: If I was 18 today, would I decide to support Bundeswehr again in my current security situation?
David: Choose Bundeswehr again with Heartbeat. Perhaps I would choose another path in the military today, as I really learned about Vandeswale when I was already there. But what really concerns me is the drone issue.
The video shows a drone deliberately targeting young Ukrainian soldiers and explodes at waist-high is extremely shocking. As an infantry officer, I am there in an emergency – exposed. These images are unsettling. They scare me.
If I had the option again, I would probably have joined the Air Force. Being a pilot, especially in a fighter, would have been a very attractive option for me in another life.
Euronows: A few weeks ago you appeared on “Hart Aber Fair,” a German television talk show, where you talked about the issue of forced military service. What reaction did you recognize?
David: The reaction is very polarized, with both positive and negative feedback.
I was called all sorts of things and was humiliated from both sides – labeled Nazi or Warmanger. From being called “Putin’s Boy” to Warmonger, I’m really getting all sorts of reactions.
I’m walking around everything. For me, that’s a sign that if I’m being criticized from both sides, I’ve achieved exactly what I’m trying to do. It’s not my purpose to promote my own opinion, it’s to educate people about security policies.
We all wear uniforms the same way, but behind them there is someone with their own personality. That was exciting for me in Vandeswale. I came from a small village, grew up in a sheltered environment, went to grammar school, then joined Bandeswale.
I met so many different people there – Trade Panfull, scholars, people I have never met before. The military has taught us how diverse people are, even when they wear the same uniforms.
