The German Armed Forces Reserve Association has called on the government to increase the age limit for army reservists from 65 to 70 years.

Bastian Ernst, the new president of the association, told the RND news agency that this change is necessary to address the army’s personnel shortage:

“We should raise the age limit for reservists from 65 to 70. In our view, this is a sensible step for many reasons. After all, the retirement age is increasing in other areas as well. People are staying fit for longer. We should not waste the resources offered by individuals with life and professional experience,” Ernst stated, adding, “If we are complaining about a lack of young recruits at one end of the age spectrum, we also need to improve the situation at the other end.”

Ernst, a member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), also expressed a desire for the forthcoming legislation to abolish the principle of voluntary participation for reservists during training exercises.

The German Defence Ministry, led by Social Democratic Party (SPD) Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, is currently working on a new law regulating reserve service, which is expected to be presented to parliament in the summer.

Currently, both reservists and their employers must give their consent if the army wishes to call up reservists for training.

Ernst asserted, “We need to eliminate the principle of voluntary participation for employers. They should not have the right to object when reservists are called up for training. At the same time, reservists themselves should not be coerced.”

He added that the army should be allowed to better plan how many reservists it wishes to train and when.

“This way, employers and employees can prepare for it. A secure Germany also serves the interests of businesses. Without reservists, maintaining a deterrent capability becomes challenging.”

The Reserve Association is the largest organization for former soldiers of the German army, boasting around 110,000 members.

The army reservists include all former soldiers of the German Bundeswehr who are not deemed too old or unfit for service. They can be called upon by the army to perform various tasks in the event of natural disasters or war to support military operations.

Nicht mehr 65-Jährige, sondern auch 70-Jährige sollen im Notfall für den Wehrdienst eingezogen werden können. Das fordert der neue Chef des Reservistenverbandes. https://t.co/5hEMlBVU9o

— DIE ZEIT (@zeitonline) April 21, 2026