Germany's armed forces said farewell to their last conscripts on Thursday, beginning a new era as an all-volunteer military, with further defence cuts and base closures soon to be announced, dpa reported. In its current form, the draft was introduced in 1957 when West Germany re-armed after the Second World War, building a huge army to stand up to the communist Warsaw Pact. Berlin decided last year to suspend the draft. The last intake for six months of basic training reported to the army, navy and air force on January 3. For years, the majority of military personnel have been long-service professionals. Legislation this year suspended conscription, although it can be revived if Germany needs to expand its military again. Germany is currently planning to cut military personnel by 25 per cent. The government has been silent so far about how many bases it will close because local communities are likely to protest at the job losses. To replace conscripts, Germany is offering flexible short-service enlistment for six months to two years for both genders. Defence Minister Thomas de Maiziere said Thursday enlistment on that basis was already over target, with a volunteer intake next Monday of 3,419 trainees, on top of 4,000 who began training in March and 5,700 conscripts who have opted to stay on in camp.
