Germans "Too fat to fight"

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
03/12/2008 09:39

First they were accused of not wanting to fight. Then they were blamed for failing in their main mission to train the Afghan police. Now Germany’s battered military reputation has received a further humiliating blow. According to official reports the 3,500 troops in northern Afghanistan drink too much and are too fat to fight. A German parliamentary report has revealed that in 2007 German forces in Afghanistan consumed about 1.7 million pints of beer and 90,000 bottles of wine. During the first six months of this year 896,000 pints of beer were shipped to German forces in Afghanistan. British and US bases in the country enforce a strict ban on alcohol.

The physical condition of the soldiers was already in question after a German armed forces report found that 40 per cent of its soldiers aged 18-29 were overweight, compared to 35 per cent of the civilian population of the same age.

Should'nt Alcohol be banned for Soldiers on duty?

come_on_aylin


Joined: 14/06/2008
Posts: 908

Message Posted:
03/12/2008 09:52

So that's, on average, just over 1 pint a day and a bottle of wine every 2 weeks per person. I think if I was over there, I'd be drinking more...



When you say 'banned from Soldiers on duty', I take it you mean during their tour of duty in afghanistan - surely they don't drink while in active service?

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
03/12/2008 11:00

.... surely they don't drink while in active service?



Would'nt they be on active service for just being in Afghanistan?



If you mean whilst they were, say, on patrol, then I agree with you and hope that they would'nt be drinking! Can you imagine!

TRNCVaughan


Joined: 27/04/2008
Posts: 4578

Message Posted:
03/12/2008 11:52

When my son was in Musa Qala in Afghanistan last year they didn't even have water to drink. Or food to eat. The Taliban kept shooting at the re-supply choppers and they wouldn't land. Eventually they had to drink untreated well water and kill/eat local sheep. The Germans drinking wine and beer? Huh! Luxury.

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
03/12/2008 11:55

Given the average consumption as detailed above, it sounds like German cuisine is to blame rather than the booze...

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
03/12/2008 12:11

Too much Sauerkraut!

phylray



Joined: 21/09/2007
Posts: 1727

Message Posted:
03/12/2008 12:35

Don't know the calorie content of sauerkraut but they seem

to eat lot of pork & sausage. I have in-laws in Germany & visit

them regularly, and while my Austrian sister-inlaw is an excellent

& healthy cook, I have heard the saying "Nothing is worse than wurst!"