Overview
- About 650,000 people from the 2008 birth cohort will be contacted, with roughly 54,000 questionnaires sent each month.
- Men are legally required to respond within a month or face possible fines, while women may reply voluntarily under current constitutional rules.
- Early musterings will focus on volunteers as the Bundeswehr builds out 24 assessment centers and eight large career centers slated to be fully operational by July 1, 2027.
- The assessment will pair computer-based testing of character and cognitive abilities with a medical exam, and the one-day process requires employers to release participants with pay.
- Germany plans to expand the force to 255,000–270,000 personnel by 2035, with a 2027 review to determine whether a shift to a needs-based conscription is necessary.