Tuesday 13 July 2021
Tattoo in front of the Reichstag
Afghanistan returnees are honored
The last German soldiers return quietly from Afghanistan, without a formal reception. The federal government is receiving heavy criticism for this – and is now giving in. On August 31, the mission of the returnees is to be honored with the highest military ceremony.
The Bundeswehr’s mission in Afghanistan, which ended after almost 20 years, is now being honored with a big tattoo in front of the Reichstag in Berlin. The federal government and parliament agreed on this after several days of talks. There had previously been criticism because no politician had received the last units when they returned home at the end of June.
Now there will be a wreath-laying ceremony on August 31 in the Bendler Block, the seat of the Defense Ministry in Berlin, as Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer confirmed to ntv. It is a “memory of those who died in Afghanistan”. Then there will be a reception by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in front of the Reichstag and the big tattoo in front of the Reichstag building. The minister spoke of a “public thank you”.
Initially, all elements of the event were planned solely in the Ministry of Defense. “It then turned out that the Bundeswehr itself, but also from the political arena, wanted to present it to a broader public.” Kramp-Karrenbauer was very happy that the Federal President had also given his approval for the big tattoo. An appeal and talks between Frank-Walter Steinmeier and the bereaved and relatives are planned. Then the soldiers are honored in front of the Reichstag building.
The deployment in Afghanistan was one of the longest in the history of the Bundeswehr. Originally, the US was to receive military support after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. In January 2002 the first forces arrived in the Afghan capital Kabul. Since then, 59 German soldiers have lost their lives. The operation cost more than twelve billion euros. Initially, it was intended to secure peace, but was then used to combat the rebellious Taliban. Most recently, the core mission of the NATO force was the training of Afghan armed forces.
“The first priority was to return home safely”
The Bundeswehr had recently had to push the withdrawal significantly after the US government under President Joe Biden had accelerated the withdrawal. The last international soldiers are said to have left Afghanistan by September 11th at the latest. Before the relocation began in May, 1,100 men and women of the Bundeswehr were still in the country.
The last German soldiers returned home on June 30th. The last commander of the Afghanistan mission, Brigadier General Ansgar Meyer, justified the quiet arrival without the participation of the German government at the time with the danger of Taliban attacks on departure. In addition, from his point of view it would have been “unfair” to thank only the last 264 soldiers of the almost two decades-long mission, said Meyer. “The first priority was the safe return of all of our soldiers and that was also due to the quiet arrival, so to speak,” Kramp-Karrenbauer also defended against ntv the absence of federal politicians.
Nevertheless, there were increasing voices calling for a dignified closing event in front of the Reichstag building in Berlin. The now planned Great Zap is the highest military ceremony of the German armed forces and follows a set sequence of musical elements and a military ceremony with torchbearers.
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