The right place to pay tribute to the soldiers is in front of the Bundestag

Isn’t that unworthy? The Bundeswehr is doing its best in Afghanistan for 20 long years, because freedom is also being defended in the Hindu Kush, as Defense Minister Peter Struck said at the beginning – and then, when no one withdraws, no one from politics is ready, the last soldiers are entitled to receive? It doesn’t matter whether the commander thought that the 264 men and women only wanted to go home – a reception would have shown the necessary appreciation.

It was not about ministers and MPs making themselves important. They could have just been there quietly, simply there for those who are entrusted to them.

The Bundeswehr is a parliamentary army, and we are proud of it. In this respect, it is good that soldiers are now being honored with a tattoo in front of the Reichstag building after much back and forth in the heart of democracy in a dignified act in front of the Reichstag building.

It is about a public commemoration for the fallen

This insight has been a long time coming. Every event in the Bendlerblock, i.e. in the Ministry of Defense, is really – it is also about a public commemoration for the fallen.

And about showing reverence to traumatized returnees insofar as it becomes clear to all of them: Your service is seen and appreciated. It shouldn’t also give the impression that nobody cares and that blood, sweat and tears were in vain.

You don’t even want to know exactly what was going on in the background between the President of the Bundestag, the Federal President and the Minister of Defense until this agreement was finally reached. Perhaps the soldiers themselves would have waived then.

The whole thing is very simple: even if you think that the mission was well meant, but not sufficiently thought out and planned for a long time, the troops should still be welcomed back home with all due respect. Politicians owe that to them, which after all sent them. Let’s put it this way: Soldiers have a duty to camaraderie – politicians to decency.

And the one to learn from mistakes, because Afghanistan is by no means the last combat mission of the Bundeswehr in the world out there. With regard to this country, which the Taliban are about to bring back, some things have been done wrong, politically. This relates in part to insufficient training and equipment, but also to the fact that the Taliban should have been cut off from any flow of money in order to prevent arms purchases. Or that the poppy should have been destroyed. Past. The soldiers are not responsible for this. That is why they should also be appreciated and honored.