Association of reservists in the German Federal Armed Forces

Association of Reservists of the German Federal Armed Forces V. (VdRBw)
purpose	Association of reservists of all ranks in the Bundeswehr, active soldiers and supporting members
Chair:	Dr. Patrick Sensburg
Establishment date:	January 22, 1960
Number of members:	110,497 (January 1, 2020)
Seat :	Berlin
Website:	www.reservistenverband.de

The Association of Reservists of the German Federal Armed Forces e. V. (VdRBw) was founded in Bonn in 1960. With around 110,500 members, it is the largest association of former soldiers in the Bundeswehr. As a specially commissioned agency for reservist work outside the Bundeswehr, it receives financial support from the defense budget for lifelong support, training and information for all reservists.

On behalf of the German Armed Forces, the VdRBw looks after all reservists as well as underserved persons - regardless of membership - in accordance with the requirements of the Ministry of Defense. Its mission is to win them over as mediators for the Bundeswehr in society, to train them to perform their mediating activities and to represent their interests, and to contribute to the training of reservists in the Bundeswehr for military tasks.

history

1960s - the founding years

On January 22, 1960, 27 reservists in the Bonn Citizens' Association in the presence of members of the German Bundestag, the Federal Ministry of Defense and the German Federal Armed Forces Association officially founded the "Association of Reservists of the German Federal Armed Forces eV". Among the 27 reservists were all ranks from Corporal up to lieutenant colonel of the reserve from all branches of the armed forces represented. The participants came from all six military areas.

This step was preceded by the formation of regional reservist associations in Bavaria, Bremen and Lower Saxony. The declared aim was, in particular, to continue to tie the many thousands of those already released into civilian life back to the Bundeswehr. Because only with a strong reserve would the West German armed forces be able to successfully fulfill their defense mission. In 1960, 80,000 conscripts had already completed their basic military service. The Reservists Association combined the interest of former conscripts in getting in contact with their comrades with the interest of the Bundeswehr in maintaining the reservoir of former soldiers. In addition to maintaining camaraderie, the political framework played an extremely important role - otherwise there would have been no state funding for the Association of Reservists.

The founding members passed a statute on January 22nd and elected a federal executive board, headed by Major Adalbert Weinstein, a military journalist for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. During his one-year tenure, Weinstein laid important foundations. This included the establishment of the association newspaper “Die Reserve”, today's magazine “loyal”. At the same time, the division into regional groups was implemented and an association coat of arms was introduced. At a working meeting in February 1960, Defense Minister Franz Josef Strauss promised the representatives of the founding board financial resources for looking after the reservists, setting up an office and for full-time staff. In 1964 the German Bundestag strengthened the association by stipulating in the Parliament's Defense Committee that in future the VdRBw would be the only one responsible for the care and training of reservists. In 1965 the association already had more than 19,000 members.

1970s-1980s - new impetus

In 1969 Rudolf Woller, also a journalist at ZDF, was elected President of the Reservists Association and initiated a reorientation of the association. As a result, the first reservist concept was issued in 1971, stipulating that the civil society had to take on an important sovereign task: the training and further education of the reserve outside of military exercises. The federal government gave the association the mandate to take over general reservist work (today: independent, voluntary reservist work). The aim behind this step was to strengthen the defense capabilities and the will to defend the population.

Despite the government mandate, the idea of ​​a particularly strong reserve through the change in the foreign policy framework, in line with disarmament and arms control, found less and less resonance. Service in the reserve was viewed critically by the peace movement and employers. On the part of the Bundeswehr, too, a “reservist awareness” was not really noticeable and the skills and abilities of the reservists were hardly taken into account in their planning and use.

1990s - challenges

After reunification there was only the Bundeswehr. As a result, NVA reservists could not lead their reserve ranks or become members of the association because they had served in foreign armed forces. This was a problem for the reservist association, especially with regard to the new federal states, and to this day it often meets with incomprehension and regret among the former NVA soldiers. Nevertheless, the first reservist comradeship in the eastern German states was founded on September 29, 1990 in Tonndorf. The Berlin regional group was founded in 1991 as the first regional group. The expansion and reclassification of the Bundeswehr to the East German territories and the term "army of unity" also had direct consequences for the association. With support from the old federal states, numerous reservist comradeships and today's regional associations were founded.

The changed security situation also increasingly changed the range of use of the reserve. With their specialist knowledge, reservists took part in the Bundeswehr's first missions abroad. For example, reservist Bert Havertz in Cambodia. Journalists were also used as press officers.

Nevertheless, there were difficulties for the association in the 1990s as well, caused by the downsizing of the Bundeswehr. The closure of sites and the dissolution of the Defense District Commands resulted in a thinning of the branch structure. In addition, there was still no real reserveist awareness in the armed forces, which made the work of the reserve more difficult.

However, the reservists' association continues to develop even in this difficult phase and derives new fields of action. With the handover of the study “Reservists are ready” in April 1999 to Parliamentary State Secretary Brigitte Schulte, the association created a fourth pillar of voluntary reservist work in addition to military support, security education and public relations work: the task of “Service for the Bundeswehr”. In addition, the VdRBw's first website went online in May 1998.

2000s - breaking new ground

The 2000s were again marked by changes in the security situation. For this reason, the then Defense Minister Peter Struck issued a new “Concept for reservists in the Bundeswehr” in 2003 with the stated aim that highly motivated reservists who are firmly anchored in the armed forces can be deployed professionally because of their civilian and military knowledge.

In 2004 he issued General Inspectorate the guideline for independent, voluntary reservist work (RiLiResArb) .

The reservists' association also reacted in 2005 to these changed security policy framework conditions and the tasks that were added as a result with a strategy paper for the transformation of the association, from which the 2015 concept developed. The core points of this concept were internal and external security, reservists as active citizens in society, the optimization of the internal structures of the association and increasing the attractiveness of membership.

A decisive event meant in particular the abolition of compulsory military service and with it the loss of recruitment potential by the retiring conscripts. The focus therefore shifted above all to former temporary and professional soldiers. One of the greatest challenges facing the association and society is demographic change. The VdRBw reacted to this with the concept of the training of unserved employees, the social debate on general compulsory service and the idea of ​​setting up state regiments, which should at the same time close an important gap within national defense. The first state regiment is currently in the testing phase and was put into service in Bavaria in 2019.

In order to master the existing transformation processes and to be able to react to future changed framework conditions, the “Strategy of the Reserve. Vision Reserve 2032 plus ”. In essence, this describes the need to break new ground in terms of ordering, training and equipment so that the reserve can be used more flexibly and quickly in the future. In addition, the principle of basic orders is introduced, which assigns retired soldiers directly to a specific position as reservists in the armed forces. The reservists are posted there for six years and move in in the event of tension or defense. Nevertheless, the principle of voluntariness still applies.

tasks

The non-partisan association represents the free democratic basic order of the Federal Republic of Germany and fulfills a parliamentary mandate. The focus is on the mediating role between the armed forces and society, their security-political awareness-raising and the training and further education of military skills.

In addition to classic reservist work such as training, marches, target practice and information on security policy (and evenings for regulars ), the reservist association also works in supranational associations such as Confédération Interalliée des Officiers de Réserve (CIOR), Conféderation Interalliée des Officiers Mèdicaux de Réserve (CIOMR), Confédération Sous-Officiers de Réserve (CISOR) and Gaminger Initiative with. He also uses his funds to support the Federal Association for Security Policy at Universities (BSH) in promoting academic security policy.

Together with the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge e. V. , the VdRBw supports the maintenance of more than 830 war cemeteries in 45 countries through personal support as well as the holding of donation collections.

Since December 2010 the association has been trying to give support to reservists and relatives who suffer from mission-related psychological damage including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) via the “Psycho-Social Comrades Aid” network.

In March 2020, Association President Sensburg promised the Bundeswehr the support of the reservists in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic . The reserve was "rifle at", as many reservists and reservists reported to help and support them. Of the 115,000 members of the reservists' association alone, more than 1,000 are involved in the medical service. More than 15,000 reservists had volunteered by the beginning of April.

structure

The Association of Reservists of the German Federal Armed Forces is run by an honorary Presidium, which is elected every four years by the Federal Delegate Assembly. The association has around 115,000 members. They are reservists (full members), soldiers (extraordinary members) and interested citizens without a Bundeswehr background (supporting members). The VdRBw is divided into federal association, state groups, district groups (only in Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia), district groups and reservist comradeships (RK). There are also reservist working groups (RAG) and working groups (AK) for support and further training in special subject areas and rank groups.

The approximately 3,000 reservist comradeships and RAG / AK, including 20 reservist music trains, are spread across Germany and form the basic organization of club life and the camaraderie of the reserve. Around 280 full-time employees support the work of the voluntary mandate holders and functionaries in more than 100 offices and are the contact person for all questions about reservist work on site.

The association has had its legal seat in Berlin since the end of 2015, while the majority of the federal office is still located at the place where the reservists association was founded in Bonn.

Support of the Bundeswehr

The reservist association provides various support services for the Bundeswehr, including a. in the following areas:

Representation: assuming tasks that serve to present the Bundeswehr to the public, for example with information stands or performances by the reservist music trains.

Specialists: Support from the range of specialists for domestic and international applications. One example of the Bundeswehr's support in this area is the establishment of a cyber reserve. With the help of a reservist working group Cyber, the VdRBw communicates and explains the needs of the Bundeswehr and makes them public to the target group. In this way, the VdRBw makes a significant contribution to the recruitment of both former soldiers and "unused" soldiers with in-depth knowledge of cyber and information space (CIR), which are essential for the Bundeswehr when it comes to fulfilling orders.

Mediation: Support in mediating reservists in the event of disasters and accidents, for example in the corona pandemic in spring 2020, when more than 15,000 reservists offered their support.

Special support: Reservists perform numerous functions to relieve the troops.

The reservists association has a large network of excellently qualified reservists.

With their knowledge, skills and qualifications, reservists not only contribute to the future viability of the armed forces, but also play an important mediating role for the armed forces in our society.

Military training

Military skills and abilities need refreshing from time to time. The reservists association offers numerous training and further education courses on a wide range of topics:

Combat service of all troops

At the heart of military training is combat service. In the "green training", the association offers a variety of challenging and eventful training courses. For example, from the area of ​​the activities of the individual shooter, finding your way in the terrain, camouflaging, reporting, veiling and life in the field. In addition, there is the extensive security service and the basics of individual shooters in combat, such as patrol training or the securing of rooms and objects.

Weapons and equipment training

Preparatory shooting training is essential, especially when it comes to shooting training. But shooting in itself is a sovereign task and may only be carried out by the Bundeswehr. The reservists' association offers shooting training that is perfectly tailored to the principles of the German armed forces and, together with the armed forces, organizes shooting days on which the sharp shot with military weapons can be practiced.

Shooting sports

The reservist working groups (RAG) shooting sports are spread across Germany. Here you will find reservists who are enthusiastic about shooting sports, who train with their own civilian weapons at a wide variety of shooting ranges and compete in many shooting competitions.

tactics

To improve leadership skills, the reservists' association offers officers and NCOs with portepee various training courses. In the tactics training, the participants acquire knowledge of the operational means and principles of the military branches as well as the new military symbols according to Allied Procedural Publication (APP) 6 C. Furthermore, the management process within the framework of the operation of connected forces is illustrated using examples of the offensive, defensive, stabilizing and prerequisite activities trained (terms according to UMT 2019).

Medical training

Reliability in the field of first aid is not only useful for the service as a reservist, but also necessary in work and everyday life. Specially qualified personnel turn reservists into potential lifeguards. Anyone who wants more than the qualification to become a first aid worker "Alpha" (EEH-A) should contact the Reservist Working Group (RAG) medical service. These RAG Sanitätsdienst are associations of highly trained specialists and offer regular refresher courses and advanced training.

IGF / KLF

The Bundeswehr requires soldiers and reservists who are interested in reservist services to provide regular evidence of all performance requirements according to the catalog of individual basic skills (IGF). In addition to completing certain target exercises, this also includes refresher courses in NBC self-protection measures and first aid. The necessary evidence can be submitted to the reservists' association. In addition, physical performance (KLF) is demonstrated with the basic fitness test, swimming in clothes and a performance march.

other qualifications

In addition, the VdRBw offers you a large number of opportunities to gain further qualifications beyond the level required by the Bundeswehr within the framework of association events. Participation in these events can be linked to certain requirements and previous training, which are checked on a case-by-case basis. We are working on expanding our offer. The VdRBw currently offers you:

• Acquisition of the lifeguard badge
• Acquisition of the lifeguard license
• Training as an ABC instructor
• Training as trainer C (DOSB)
• Acquisition of the trainer certificate (IHK) - probably from 2020

Security work

Every reservist is an intermediary for the Bundeswehr in society. The reservists' association has the mandate to train all reservists through seminars on current security issues. The goal of security education is to convey connections, processes and developments in current international and national security policy so that the reservist can fulfill his role as a mediator in public.

Security policy work in the association

The association organizes more than 3,800 security policy events every year. The sponsors and initiators are primarily the honorary mandate holders of the approx. 3,000 subdivisions in Germany who do this in their free time in accordance with the mandate. The full-time staff supports them comprehensively. The content-related topics are based on current security policy developments and establish fundamental references to the concerns of the Federal Republic of Germany, its armed forces and its reservists.

Public security policy work

In order for the association to be able to carry out its mandate successfully, it primarily needs mediators in society (multipliers). Together with the Bundeswehr Information Center in Strausberg, the reservists association conducts six rounds of the seminar "The reservist as a mediator in public" every year. In this so-called intermediary seminar, the participants receive media and communication training.

Events around the topic

The "Federal seminar for security policy" is the main event of the security policy advanced training of the mandate holders and multipliers of the association and is aimed primarily at applicants who want to pass on the acquired knowledge intensively in their professional or social environment personally as well as through events. The seminar places are loyally advertised in the association magazine.

Security public relations

In June 2016, the reservists' association organized the "Security Policy Forum Berlin" for the first time with great success. The forum is a new event format with which the association intends to intensify the security policy dialogue in the capital and in society.

Security policy magazine .loyal

.Loyal is the monthly association magazine with a focus on security policy. It is used to convey information and knowledge to the reservists in the field of security policy and supports the reservists in their function as mediators. It appears in a print run of currently over 120,000. In addition to the association members, the Bundeswehr services and other multipliers such as members of the Bundestag always receive a copy.

Security policy university work

The reservists association supports the security policy debate in academia through cooperation with the Federal Association for Security Policy at Universities (BSH). As a mediator in public space, the BSH gives students the opportunity to deal scientifically with security policy and to enter into dialogue with the various security policy actors.

The BSH is the largest security policy youth network in Germany and an umbrella organization of more than 25 regionally organized university groups. As an intermediary for security policy, the association would like to offer students the opportunity to deal with security policy at a scientific level and to enter into dialogue with a wide variety of security policy actors.

The offers of the BSH range from the numerous events of the university groups on site to top-class seminars and courses at the federal level.

International cooperation

The reservists' association is active beyond the borders of Germany and thus strengthens the global exchange on security policy. In the context of international reservist work, the reservists association, in addition to its activities at the state and local level, and some of its members represent the reservists of the Bundeswehr in various organizations such as CIOR, CIOMR, NRFC and CISOR.

Below the federal level, numerous local branches maintain contacts with friendly armed forces and reserve organizations.

Psycho-social help for comrades

Post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of an assignment abroad often occurs with a time delay when the soldiers have left the Bundeswehr. Reservists are also deployed abroad. Psycho-Social Comrades Aid is a network of the reservists' association to support reservists and their families with injuries. Each federal state has a state commissioner who can refer those affected to suitable contact points inside and outside the Bundeswehr. The state commissioners meet regularly with the "Psycho-Social Comrades Aid" working group of the reservists' association in order to improve the care of comrades who are stressed on duty.

Cyber ​​reserve

The concept of the cyber reserve goes beyond the previous reserve service and opens it up to a larger group of people and new target groups. Only in this way can the required expertise be maintained and further improved in a very dynamic area. The aim is to facilitate the exchange between experts from the Bundeswehr and experts from authorities, business and society and to promote the transfer of knowledge. In parallel to the establishment of the Cyber ​​and Information Room Command, the Reservists Association has set up a Cyber ​​Reservists Working Group (RAG). The RAG is intended to help build a cyber reserve. That is part of the mandate of the newly established command. "With the establishment of a cyber reserve, the previously unused potential of highly qualified cyber specialists for the performance of tasks in the national security precaution and the work of the Kdo CIR is to be made available and better used", it says in the directive of the reserve 2017/2018. In accordance with this directive, the deputy inspector general of the Bundeswehr asks the reservists association “to support the reservists association within the framework of its structure in the identification of suitable reservists and unserved personnel”.

Advisory Board

The purpose of the “Advisory Board for Reservist Work at the Association of Reservists of the German Armed Forces eV” is to strengthen the cooperation of the associations and organizations active in reservist work and to represent the requirements for this task in society and vis-à-vis the public, parliament and the federal government. The VdRBw serves as a support platform for the clubs and associations organized in the advisory board. In addition, the Advisory Board should maintain intensive cooperation with the Bundeswehr and advise the Bundeswehr's reserve officers, act as an intermediary for the Bundeswehr in society and actively promote peace and security through fundamental security information and public relations work. The reservists' association ensures constant support for the organizations belonging to the advisory board.

The members of the Advisory Board for Reservist Work at the VdRBw orient their activities in the fields of supervision, security policy work and military training according to content and objectives to the reserve concept (KdR) issued by the BMVg and its subordinate guidelines in the currently valid version. They contribute to the annual report on reservist work of the VdRBw.

statute

The Association of Reservists of the German Armed Forces eV is an association with legal capacity, registered in the register of associations of the Berlin-Charlottenburg District Court. Only the federal delegates' assembly, which takes place every four years, can decide on the statutes and their amendments.

Media award

The Reservists Association has been awarding the Golden Hedgehog Media Prize at irregular intervals since 1993 for exceptional work in the media on a topic related to the Bundeswehr or reservists in Germany. The price is currently with a prize money of 6,000 euros doped and is in three categories: print , online and radio / TV awarded.

financing

The association receives an amount in the double-digit million range for its work from Section 14 (Title 685 01) of the federal budget . There it is also recorded as a "budget note" that the association is granted the following benefits:

• Free provision of office space with furnishings for the accommodation of offices in Bundeswehr properties. Costs for cleaning, heating, water and electricity consumption are not charged.
• Free shared use of Bundeswehr facilities as part of order-related events of the VdRBw.
• Free use of free accommodation in properties of the Bundeswehr for full-time employees of the association on the occasion of business trips.
• Subsidies for the association magazine "loyal" for free distribution to all association members.

The federal budget covers 100% of the personnel and administrative expenses as well as investments totaling 18.1 million euros (target 2020). In the years before, the following approaches were applied: 2019: 18.1 million euros (target), 2018: 16.8 million euros, 2017: 16.9 million euros, 2016: 17.8 million euros (target) , 2015: 15.7 million euros.

Military music

Reservist music trains in the Federal Republic of Germany

The association also promotes military music and musical entertainment in Germany. There are currently 21 reservist music trains.

List of reservist music trains :

• RMZ Allgäu
• RMZ Bodensee-Nordschwaben
• RMZ Berlin
• RMZ Fulda
• RMZ Hamburg
• RMZ Hessen
• RMZ Idar-Oberstein
• RMZ Lueneburg
• RMZ Niederrhein
• RMZ Lower Saxony
• RMZ North Baden
• RMZ North Swabia
• RMZ Oberbaden
• RMZ Upper Palatinate
• RMZ Rhineland
• RMZ Saarland
• RMZ Saxony
• RMZ Schleswig-Holstein
• RMZ Trier
• RMZ Ulm
• RMZ Weser-Lippe

Association presidents

President Lieutenant Colonel dR Dr. Patrick Sensburg, Member of the Bundestag (2009)

List of association presidents :

• 1960–1961: Adelbert Weinstein , journalist ( Frankfurt ), Lieutenant Colonel d.R. († 2003)
• 1961–1962: Lothar Ganser , lawyer (Hameln), Major dR († 1984)
• 1962–1965: Friedrich Ruge , Vice Admiral ret. D. († 1985)
• 1965-1969: Konrad Stephen , Brigadier General a. D. († 1987)
• 1969–1976: Rudolf Woller , television journalist, Colonel dR († 1996)
• 1976–1984: Heinz-Detlef Drape , Member of the State Parliament , frigate captain dR († 1987)
• 1984–1986: Hans-Michael Moll , Head of Economic Affairs ( Kiel ), Colonel dR († 1986)
• 1986–1987: Helmuth Möhring , Member of the Bundestag , Colonel dR († 2006)
• 1987–1991: Armin Steinkamm , Colonel dR
• 1991–1995: Peter Kurt Würzbach , Member of the Bundestag, Major a. D. and Lieutenant Colonel dR
• 1995–1996: Heinz-Alfred Steiner , Member of the Bundestag, Hauptmann a. D. and Major dR
• 1996–2003: Helmut Rauber , Member of the Bundestag, Hauptmann a. D. and Lieutenant Colonel dR
• 2003–2009: Ernst-Reinhard Beck , Member of the Bundestag, Colonel dR
• 2009–2011: Gerd Höfer , Member of the Bundestag, Major dR
• 2011–2016: Roderich Kiesewetter , Member of the Bundestag, Colonel a. D.
• 2016–2019: Oswin Veith , Member of the Bundestag, Colonel dR
• since November 9, 2019: Patrick Sensburg , Member of the Bundestag, Lieutenant Colonel dR

Web links

Commons : Association of Reservists of the German Armed Forces  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Official website
• Image brochure

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Guideline for independent, voluntary reservist work (RiLiResArb) as of June 29, 2004
2. ^ Association of Reservists of the German Federal Armed Forces V .: Comrades help comrades. Retrieved November 3, 2017 . 
3. ^ Association President Sensburg promises the Bundeswehr full support. Association of Reservists of the German Federal Armed Forces V., March 19, 2020, accessed on April 22, 2020 (German). 
4. ↑ Christoph Rieke: How the Bundeswehr is fighting the virus. In: n-tv.de. ntv Nachrichtenfernsehen GmbH, March 25, 2020, accessed on April 22, 2020 . 
5. ^ Reserve in the fight against the coronavirus “gun at your feet”. Association of Reservists of the German Federal Armed Forces V., March 15, 2020, accessed on April 22, 2020 (German). 
6. ↑ Thorsten Jungholt: Corona: "Need a debate about when the Bundeswehr should be deployed in Germany" . In: THE WORLD . March 24, 2020 ( welt.de [accessed April 22, 2020]).
7. ↑ Corona mission: What employees and employers need to know now. Association of Reservists of the German Federal Armed Forces V., April 6, 2020, accessed on April 27, 2020 (German). 
8. ↑ Statutes (PDF) reservistenverband.de. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
9. ^ Federal budget 2017. Section 14. (PDF) Federal Ministry of Finance, accessed on October 31, 2017 . 
10. ↑ Budget Act 2020 (PDF) December 21, 2019, accessed May 10, 2020 . 
11. ↑ Budget Act 2019 (PDF) Retrieved November 11, 2018 . 
12. ^ List of reservist music trains
13. ↑ Live blog for the 20th BDV - Sensburg elected president. Association of Reservists of the German Federal Armed Forces V., November 9, 2019, accessed November 9, 2019 .