Kompetenzprofile des specialist in violence. Anforderungen und Rolle des Bundeswehrsoldaten im Wandel 1957–2007

Competence profile of the specialist in violence The changing requirements and roles of soldiers 50 years after the first military draft, this article explores the requirements and roles of German Army soldiers over the period 1957 to 2007. The changing competencies and skills required of soldiers must be understood in connection with the profound changes which the German Army has undergone in its transformation from a defence-oriented force to an army actively involved in military missions. Nowadays soldiers are required to have analytical as well as action-related skills, multi-lingual capabilities, empathy and inter-cultural competence. At the same time, the core competence of soldiers „the ability and willingness to engage in combat“ is still requisite. The German Army confronts the requirements outl ined in the article wit h a wide range of train ing and retrainin g pr ogramme, inte r alia at the Hamburg Leadership Academy of the German Army , which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.