Germany struggles to staff brigade for Lithuania, may resort to forced deployment
Germany's Bundeswehr is short about 2,000 soldiers needed to fully staff its permanent brigade in Lithuania by the end of 2027, and the defense minister has raised the possibility of mandatory assignment.
German newspaper "Bild" reports that the Bundeswehr is short around 2,000 soldiers needed to fully staff its brigade permanently stationed in Lithuania by the end of 2027. The unit requires roughly 4,800 soldiers in total, but only about 60% of the required positions have been filled so far.
Uneven staffing across units
Units already stationed in Lithuania are staffed much more successfully, at around 92%. The biggest recruitment problems remain in units scheduled to relocate from Germany to Lithuania in 2027, with a particularly severe shortage in tank and motorized infantry battalions.
Forced assignment under consideration
The shortage of volunteers is serious enough that German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has previously acknowledged the possibility of ordering soldiers to serve in Lithuania on a compulsory basis if necessary. Awareness campaigns and familiarization trips to Lithuania have so far not been enough to attract sufficient volunteers willing to serve on NATO's eastern flank.
Should Germany's defense ministry ultimately decide in favor of mandatory assignment, that decision would need to be made by the end of this year, to give soldiers enough time to prepare for relocating to Lithuania together with their families.
