Wearing a gas mask, a young man performs a rapid series of push-ups, jumps and squats at the German military's recruiting booth at FIBO, the world's largest fitness expo, held in Cologne.
Germany hopes to grow its armed forces, winning tens of thousands of new volunteers -- a tough task in a country where many young people view military service with scepticism.
kAm%@ 7:?5 ?6H C64CF:ED[ E96 qF?56DH69C >FDE C6=J @? E96 A@H6C @7 A6CDF2D:@?[ 2?5 D66D E96 uxq~ 72:C \\ 2 46=63C2E:@? @7 3F=8:?8 >FD4=6D 2?5 5:DA=2JD @7 DH62EJ DE2>:?2 \\ 2D 2 ?2EFC2= G6?F6 E@ H:? E96 D@=5:6CD @7 E@>@CC@H]k^Am
kAmQ%96 E2C86E 8C@FA :D C:89E 96C6 \\ H6 C6=J @? J@F?8[ 2E9=6E:4[ >@E:G2E65 A6@A=6 E@ ;@:? E96 D6CG:46[Q E96 b_\J62C\@=5 =:6FE6?2?E 4@>>2?5:?8 E96 3@@E9[ H9@ 82G6 9:D ?2>6 @?=J 2D !6E6C[ E@=5 pu!]k^Am
kAmQ(6 42? 2AAC@249 E96> G6CJ 67764E:G6=J 96C6]Qk^Am
kAmuC2?K[ 2 b`\J62C\@=5 A9JD:@E96C2A:DE H9@ 564=:?65 E@ 8:G6 9:D =2DE ?2>6[ D6E E96 52JVD C64@C5 :? E96 2C>J 3@@E9VD 82D\>2D<65 7:E?6DD 492==6?86[ H@C<:?8 9:D H2J E9C@F89 d_ ;F>A:?8 ;24<D[ a_ DBF2ED[ `_ AC6DD\FAD 2?5 7:G6 3FCA66D :? ;FDE ce D64@?5D]k^Am
kAm$9@CE=J 27E6C[ 96 E@=5 pu! E92E 96 H@F=5 36 @A6? E@ ;@:?:?8 E96 2C>J :? 4@>:?8 J62CDi Qq6:?8 E96C6 E@ 5676?5 >J 4@F?ECJ :D 567:?:E6=J 2? @AE:@?]Qk^Am
kAmr92?46==@C uC:65C:49 |6CK 92D 42==65 7@C v6C>2?J E@ 364@>6 tFC@A6VD =625:?8 4@?G6?E:@?2= >:=:E2CJ A@H6C[ A2CE @7 2 3C@256C C62C>2>6?E AFD9 3J tFC@A62? }p%~ 2==:6D E@ 56E6C 2 9@DE:=6 #FDD:2]k^Am
kAmqJ a_bd[ q6C=:? 92D 4@>>:EE65 E@ :?4C62D6 :ED EC@@A DEC6?8E9 E@ ae_[___ D@=5:6CD \\ FA 7C@> E96 4FCC6?E `gd[___ \\ 2?5 3@@DE E96 C6D6CG6D E@ 2?@E96C a__[___]k^Am
kAm%@ 249:6G6 E9:D[ q6C=:? :?EC@5F465 2 DJDE6> E9:D J62C E@ C68:DE6C `g\J62C\@=5D E@ :56?E:7J A@E6?E:2= ?6H C64CF:ED \\ 3FE D@ 72C 92D C67C2:?65 7C@> 3C:?8:?8 324< >2?52E@CJ >:=:E2CJ D6CG:46[ H9:49 H2D DFDA6?565 :? a_``]k^Am
kAmr@?D4C:AE:@? :D 2 D6?D:E:G6 DF3;64E :? v6C>2?J[ H9:49 92D 2 DEC@?8 A24:7:4:DE DEC62< @7E6? 2EEC:3FE65 E@ E96 9@CC@CD @7 E96 }2K: C68:>6[ 2?5 D@ E96 qF?56DH69C :D =@@<:?8 7@C @E96C H2JD E@ H:? 962CED[ >:?5D 2?5 C64CF:ED]k^Am
k9am\ ~3DE24=6 4@FCD6D[ 4@>32E DA@CED \k^9am
More from this section
kAm%96 qF?56DH69C DE2?5 2E E96 72:C 5@>:?2E65 E96 >:55=6 @7 EH@ 3FDE=:?8 2:D=6D A24<65 H:E9 J@F?8 >6? :? 2E9=6E:4 D9@CED 2?5 J@F?8 H@>6? :? =688:?8D 2?5 DA@CED 3C2D]k^Am
kAmw6=A:?8 5C2H 2EE6?E:@? E@ E96 EC@@AD H2D 2? :>A@D:?8 u6??6< 2C>@FC65 C64@??2:DD2?46 G69:4=6 2?5 2 EC@@A EC2?DA@CE6C[ A2C<65 @? 6:E96C D:56 @7 E96 3@@E9]k^Am
kAmQ(6VG6 6IA2?565 6G6? 7FCE96C 4@>A2C65 E@ =2DE J62C 5F6 E@ E96 DF446DD @7 @FC C64CF:E>6?E 5C:G6 2E uxq~[Q E96 =:6FE6?2?E E@=5 pu! 2E E96 3:8 DE2?5[ H9:49 H2D >2??65 3J ha D@=5:6CD 2?5 DE277]k^Am
kAm(:E9 @3DE24=6 4@FCD6D[ 4@>32E 56>@?DEC2E:@?D 2?5 52:=J C277=6D @776C:?8 AC:K6D =:<6 H2E6C 3@EE=6D[ >F8D[ %\D9:CED 2?5 324<A24<D \\ 2== :? >:=:E2CJ D9256D @7 D2?5 2?5 <92<: \\ E96 qF?56DH69C :D AF==:?8 @FE 2== E96 DE@AD E@ 2EEC24E ?6H D@=5:6CD]k^Am
kAmp 32??6C 25G6CE:D65 2? FA4@>:?8 Q~=J>A:IQ 6G6?E 2E E96 qF?56DH69CVD DA@CED D49@@= :? E96 H6DE6C? E@H? @7 (2C6?5@C7[ H96C6 J@F?8 A6@A=6 2865 `e E@ `h 42? 4@>A6E6 :? 7@@E32==[ 36249 G@==6J32== 2?5 4@>32E DA@CED]k^Am
kAmQ(6VG6 364@>6 >@C6 AC@76DD:@?2= 2?5 >@C6 2EEC24E:G6Q E@ A@E6?E:2= C64CF:ED[ !6E6C D2:5 @7 v6C>2?JVD >:=:E2CJ[ 2=E9@F89 96 564=:?65 E@ AC@G:56 DA64:7:4 C64CF:E:?8 7:8FC6D 7C@> E96 uxq~ DE2?5]k^Am
kAm!@E6?E:2= C64CF:ED @7E6? Q?665 E9C66 @C 7@FC 4@?E24ED 367@C6 564:5:?8 E@ AFCDF6 2 42C66C A2E9 @C 492?86 AC@76DD:@?D[Q 96 25565[ 4@>A2C:?8 E96 564:D:@?\>2<:?8 AC@46DD 7@C D:8?:?8 FA E@ >2<:?8 2 >2;@C AFC492D6]k^Am
kAm{:?52 #6:?92C5 \\ 2 bb\J62C\@=5 A9JD:@E96C2A:DE H9@ 925 ;FDE 4@>A=6E65 2 4@>32E 4@FCD6 2E E96 EC2:?:?8 DE2?5 H9:=6 H62C:?8 2 `b\<:=@8C2>>6 Wah\A@F?5X G6DE \\ D2:5 D96 E9@F89E E96 AF3=:4 A6C46AE:@? @7 E96 qF?56DH69C 925 :>AC@G65 :? C646?E J62CD]k^Am
kAmQ(:E9 6G6CJE9:?8 E92EVD 92AA6?:?8 :? E96 H@C=5[ E96 8FJD 2?5 8:C=D 96C6 C62==J 4@?EC:3FE6 E@ >2<:?8 FD 766= D276[Q D96 D2:5[ 2=E9@F89 D96 :D ?@E 4@?D:56C:?8 AFEE:?8 @? 2 F?:7@C> 2E E96 >@>6?E]k^Am
kAmQx 92G6 2 8C62E ;@3[ xV> G6CJ 92AAJ[ 3FE x E9:?< E96J ?665 8@@5 A6@A=6 96C6 E96J 42? C6=J @?[Q #6:?92C5 D2:5[ 255:?8 E92E D96 H2D <66A:?8 2? @A6? >:?5 E@ @?6 52J 5@:?8 >:=:E2CJ D6CG:46]k^Am
kAmQ|2J36 E92E H@F=5 36 2? 2=E6C?2E:G6 D@>6E:>6 :? E96 7FEFC6[ H9J ?@EnQk^Am
kAm3FC\3DE^7K^C>3^;93k^Am
