scholarly journals Militarizing antimilitarism? Exploring the gendered representation of military service in German recruitment videos on social media

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank A. Stengel ◽  
David Shim

This article analyzes the gendered representation of military service in the German YouTube series Die Rekruten (DR) (The Recruits), a popular web series produced on behalf of the German armed forces (Bundeswehr) for recruitment purposes, which accompanies 12 navy recruits during their basic training. The article is situated within research on masculinity and the military, in particular military recruitment. It supplements current scholarship by studying a previously neglected case that is of particular interest given Germany’s antimilitarist culture, which should make military recruitment and military public relations more difficult. The article asks how military service is represented in DR, what its discursive effects are, and what role (if any) masculinity plays in this process. We find support for recent feminist research on military masculinities (including in military recruitment) that emphasizes ambiguity and contradiction. What distinguishes the construction of military masculinity in DR from, for example, recruitment advertisements in the United States or the United Kingdom is its markedly civil character. This not only broadens the military’s appeal for a more diverse audience but also increases the legitimacy of the military and its activities. It does so by concealing the violence that has for the past two decades also been a very real part of what the Bundeswehr does.

Author(s):  
Federica Caso

Abstract After decades of refusal, neglect, and tacit admittance, the service of Indigenous people in the national armed forces of settler colonial states such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States is finally gaining acknowledgment. Indigenous people are now integrated in the regular forces and represented in national war commemoration. This article maintains that while inclusion and recognition of Indigenous military service is a positive transformation in the direction of post-colonial reconciliation, it still operates within the logics of settler colonialism intended to eradicate Indigenous stories of connection to land and assimilate Indigenous people in settler society. Using the case study of Indigenous militarization in Australia, this article argues that, under conditions of settler colonialism, the inclusion and recognition of Indigenous people in national militaries advances the settler colonial project intended to dispossess Indigenous people from their land and assimilate them in the new settler society. It highlights that historically, military organization has supported settler colonialism, and positions the present inclusion and recognition of Indigenous people in the military as a continuation of this history.


1958 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 230-232 ◽  

The fourth session of the Council of the Baghdad Pact was held in Ankara, Turkey, January 27–30, 1958, under the chairmanship of Mr. Adnan Menderes, Prime Minister of Turkey, and was attended by delegations from Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Turkey, and the United Kingdom, as well as by an observer delegation from the United States. It was reported that at the opening meeting the delegates from Iran, Iraq, Turkey, and Pakistan stressed the need for more economic aid to the pact area, while the United Kingdom and United States speakers expressed the belief that member nations should concentrate on completing economic projects already under way. Mr. Dulles, Secretary of State of the United States, in his opening address pointed out that Congress had authorized the President to use armed forces to assist any nation or group of nations in the Middle East, including the Baghdad Pact nations, that requested assistance against armed aggression by any communist-controlled country. On the second day of the session the Council approved reports of the military, liaison, and countersubversion committees. The report of the military committee recommended a longterm defense building project, which would include a communications system from west Turkey to Pakistan with trunk and lateral highways, harbor and storage facilities at seaports on the Mediterranean, Persian Gulf, and the Arabian Sea, and civil airports that could be readily converted for military use. In the meeting on January 29 Mr. Dulles announced that, subject to funds being made available by Congress, $10 million would be provided by the United States for the improvement of telephone and radiotelephone links between the capitals of Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, and Turkey, in addition to $8 million already provided for surveys being carried out.


2002 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ross R. Moquin ◽  
James M. Ecklund

Although the practice of neurosurgery in the United States (US) Armed Forces is in many ways similar to the civilian practice of neurosurgery, there are many differences as well. The unique challenges, duties, and opportunities US military neurosurgeons are given, both in peacetime and in times of conflict, are discussed, as are pathways for entering into service. The advantages of military service for neurosurgeons include sponsored training, decreased direct exposure to tort actions, little involvement with third-party payers, significant opportunities for travel, and military-specific experiences. The most appealing aspect of military practice is serving fellow members of the US Armed Forces. Disadvantages include the extreme gap between the military and civilian pay scales, lack of support personnel, and in some areas low surgery-related case volume. The greatest concern faced by the military neurosurgical community is the failure to retain experienced neurosurgeons after their obligated service time has been completed, for which several possible solutions are described. It is hoped that future changes will make the practice of military neurosurgery attractive enough so that it will be seen as a career in itself and not an obligation to endure before starting practice in the “real world.”


Author(s):  
V. L. Martynenko ◽  

German immigrants who were evacuated by the German authorities in 1943–1944 from the USSR to the territory of Warthegau, Silesia, General Government and Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, became part of the human resources actively used not only in the economy, but also in defensive measures of the Reich. Contrary to the fact that the mobilization of that potential contingent was relatively low, tens of thousands of men were in the ranks of the armed forces of Germany. A significant number of Soviet Germans were replenishment for the SS troops. The initial process of attracting German settlers to military service was not easy and required adherence to a number of formalities related to their naturalization. One of the key factors that also had an effect on solving the issue of ethnic Germans in the internal service was the long-standing contradiction between the Wehrmacht and the SS. The article notes that, in the last months of the war, immigrants from the USSR found themselves in practically no alternative situation, since the military and political leadership of Germany decided to mobilize all men appropriate for military service, regardless of the naturalization. By the end of hostilities in Europe, many Soviet Germans serving in the German army had been captured by the Western allies or the Red Army.


Author(s):  
Roman V. Aliiev ◽  

The article considers the problem of general awareness of the legally significant properties of military offences (crimes, misdemeanours), their relationship with other types of offences, which is actually an urgent task, especially for the science of military law and the integration of legal science � general theory of law. Based on the analysis of terminological and conceptual aspects of military offences (crimes, misdemeanours), their own typology, legal features and features of the composition, the author of the article proposes their generalized definition as �military torts�. The study of the essence and content of military tort as a phenomenon of modern legal science, as well as ways to prevent, detect and stop it, is a special, special law enforcement tool within the leading institute of military law. Further study of the phenomenon of military tort provides an opportunity to form an independent complex scientific field - military tort. It is proved that the causes and conditions of offences in the Armed Forces of Ukraine involve a complex set of factors, processes and phenomena. At the same time, they are characterized by a number of features due to the specifics of military service and the activities of troops (forces). For example, the activities of personnel, internal order, military life and other military-public relations, which are regulated as much as possible by the rules of military statutes. In addition to military statutes, military-public relations are regulated by other rules of law, for example, the scope of criminal law is much broader � servicemen are responsible for committing both general crimes and military criminal offences. Considering the subject of research, which is a �military tor� as a phenomenon of modern legal science, it should be noted that in the theory of law and in the practice of personnel in the direction of legal support of military formation used phrases such as �military administrative offences�, �criminal offences�. Against the established order of military service (military criminal offences)�, �war crimes�, �military and disciplinary offences in the military sphere�, �criminal order or instruction �, etc. Therefore, there is a problem in determining the meaning of terms, and there are several reasons for this. The first, classic - the definition of the term allows you to outline the subject of research and discussion, the range of related problems. Another is the problem of the spread of offences in the military sphere, i.e. ensuring the national security and defense of Ukraine, due to its specificity is global (phenomenal) and therefore can be most effectively solved only if joint efforts are made at both international and national levels. Ensuring their effective interaction directly depends on a consistent understanding and interpretation of terminology in the direction of the study of lawful behaviour or the causes and conditions of deviant �tort� behaviour of service members. Thus, we see that the epistemological processes of formation of military torts as a phenomenon of scientific and legal category is characterized by a certain inconsistency, ambiguity and fragmentation, generated by situational aspects of necessity. However, we can determine that a military tort is a set of illegal (anti-social) acts (crimes or misdemeanours) provided by the current criminal legislation of capable subjects of military-public relations, encroaching on the foundations of national security, organization of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and public order. Understanding and understanding of the acquired knowledge should be the basis for improving the institution of legal responsibility of servicemen in the military sphere as a fundamental means of protection, mechanism, guarantor, designed to ensure regulatory, protective and protective function of military law, without which the existence and development of modern Ukrainian army is impossible.


2009 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 885 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Waters

While civilian supremacy over the armed forces is accepted as a matter of faith in Western countries, this supremacy often means little more than supremacy of the executive branch of government over top generals. Indeed, efforts to regulate armed forces through broader domestic or international legal frameworks, including international criminal law, have been resisted in some military quarters (particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States) with the military and its backers raising concerns of “legal encirclement” or “lawfare.” The author argues for broad civilian and democratic oversight of armed forces, including through increased judicial and quasi-judicial scrutiny of overseas military actions at the domestic and international levels. The author concludes that broad democratic oversight not only promotes compliance with international legal norms but supports operational effectiveness as well.


2020 ◽  
pp. 088626052097031
Author(s):  
Cary Leonard Klemmer ◽  
Ashley C. Schuyler ◽  
Mary Rose Mamey ◽  
Sheree M. Schrager ◽  
Carl Andrew Castro ◽  
...  

Prior research among military personnel has indicated that sexual harassment, stalking, and sexual assault during military service are related to negative health sequelae. However, research specific to LGBT U.S. service members is limited. The current study aimed to explore the health, service utilization, and service-related impact of stalking and sexual victimization experiences in a sample of active-duty LGBT U.S. service members ( N = 248). Respondent-driven sampling was used to recruit study participants. U.S. service members were eligible to participate if they were 18 years or older and active-duty members of the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, or U.S. Air Force. This study included a sizeable portion of transgender service members ( N = 58, 23.4%). Sociodemographic characteristics, characteristics of military service, health, and sexual and stalking victimization in the military were assessed. Regression was used to examine relationships between health and service outcomes and sexual and stalking victimization during military service. Final adjusted models showed that experiencing multiple forms of victimization in the military increased the odds of visiting a mental health clinician and having elevated somatic symptoms, posttraumatic stress disorder symptomatology, anxiety, and suicidality. Sexual and stalking victimization during U.S. military service was statistically significantly related to the mental and physical health of LGBT U.S. service members. Interventions to reduce victimization experiences and support LGBT U.S. service members who experience these types of violence are indicated. Research that examines the role of LGBT individuals’ experiences and organizational and peer factors, including social support, leadership characteristics, and institutional policies in the United States military is needed.


2021 ◽  
pp. bmjmilitary-2020-001740
Author(s):  
Erin G Lawrence ◽  
N Jones ◽  
N Greenberg ◽  
N T Fear ◽  
S Wessely ◽  
...  

Organisations including the United Kingdom Armed Forces should seek to implement mental health interventions to increase the psychological well-being of their workforce. This editorial briefly presents ten key principles that military forces should consider before implementing such interventions. These include job-focused training; evaluating interventions; the use of internal versus external training providers; the role of leaders; unit cohesion, single versus multiple session psychological interventions; not overgeneralising the applicability of interventions; the need for repeated skills practice; raising awareness and the fallibility of screening.


1957 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 546-547 ◽  

The Council of the Baghdad Pact held its annual meeting in Karachi from June 3 through 6, 1957. Representatives were present from the five member countries—Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan and the United Kingdom—and the United States was represented by an observer delegation. The Council had been scheduled to meet months earlier, but Iraq originally refused to meet with the United Kingdom. At the opening session, presided over by Mr. Suhrawardy, Prime Minister of Pakistan, the Prime Minister of Iraq, Nuri es Said, was reported to have spoken forcefully about the dangers implicit in the problems of Israel, Algeria, Kashmir and Cyprus. Mr. Lloyd, Foreign Minister of the United Kingdom, was reported to have followed Mr. Nuri es Said's remarks with a speech in which he announced his government's offer of a contribution of £500,000 a year in cash and in kind for building up the minimum military infra-structure in member countries. The speeches of other delegates were reported to be noteworthy for their frank recognition of past weaknesses in the Baghdad Pact organization and the need to give it new effectiveness. In the course of the first session the United States formally accepted an invitation to join the Pact's Military Committee; and a United States military delegation headed by General Nathan F. Twining started participating in a separate concurrent meeting of the Military Committee. The United States thus became a member of the Pact's three main committees, but had still not become a formal member of the Pact.


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