Major General André Bodemann is the new first commander of the Territorial Command of the Bundeswehr. He takes over this post from General Carsten Breuer, the Inspector General of the Bundeswehr. He plans to build on the work of his predecessor.
The handover roll call took place May 15, 2023, at the Julius Leber Barracks in Berlin. The ceremonial act was presided over by the Federal Minister of Defense, Boris Pistorius (SPD).The 57-year-old Bodemann has already been leading the Territorial Command of the Bundeswehr as National Territorial Commander since April 1, 2023. He assumed this role after his predecessor, General Carsten Breuer, took over the post of Inspector General of the Bundeswehr from General Eberhard Zorn. Maj. Gen. Bodemann was most recently deputy to the inspector of the Armed Forces Base in Bonn.
Part of the Bundeswehr since the 80s
Bodemann was born in Hagen, North Rhine-Westphalia, in 1965. He is married and has one child. He joined the armed forces in 1985. After completing officer training, he completed a three-year course of study in education at the University of the Armed Forces in Hamburg starting in 1989. Subsequently, he served as platoon commander of Panzergrenadier Battalion 212 in Augustdorf. He then took over the post of training group leader at the tank troop school in Münster.
From 1999, Bodemann underwent two years of general staff training at the Bundeswehr Command and Staff College in Hamburg. In 2006, Bodemann transferred to the Federal Ministry of Defense (BMVg), where he remained for five years. He then spent a year at NATO before returning to the BMVg as Head of Strategy and Operations. Bodemann then became commander of the Armored Brigade 12 “Oberpfalz” in Amberg. After serving in this role for two years, the major general took over as subdivision head of Strategy and Operations II “Military Policy and Operations” at the BMVg. Bodemann took his next professional step at the Center for Innere Führung in Koblenz, where he assumed command. Most recently, he served as Deputy Inspector of the Armed Forces Base in Bonn.
No change of direction
In his inaugural address, Bodemann made it clear that he intended to continue the policy of his predecessor. “I now see it as my essential task to continue to shape and consolidate the command along the proven path of my predecessor and current Inspector General of the Bundeswehr, General Carsten Breuer.” After all, he said, national and alliance defense is not a relic from the Cold War, but highly topical.
Russia’s war of aggression on Ukraine, which violates international law, makes this clear. Nevertheless, he said, national and alliance defense should not be thought of as it was in Cold War times, because the threat situation is more complex. “In addition to the threat of a purely military confrontation, today’s threats include hybrid threats, threats to critical infrastructure and cyberspace, accompanied by fake news and disinformation,” Bodemann explains. To counter these dangers, he says, an awareness of society as a whole is needed.
The highest national command
The Territorial Command of the Bundeswehr is the highest national command for Bundeswehr operations in Germany. It has been based in Berlin since its establishment on September 26, 2022, and will comprise around 550 military and approximately 250 civilian posts when it reaches full operational capability. The command is concerned with the core themes of homeland security, host nation support and the provision of forces in a national command organization. The National Territorial Commander heads the command. In addition to the regular 22 services, the Multinational Civil-Military Cooperation Command (MN CIMIC Cmd), the German parts of the NATO Joint Support and Enabling Command (JSEC) and the Multinational Operational Command (MNKdo OpFü) in Ulm are subordinate to this commander. In addition, soldiers from other branches of the Bundeswehr can also be deployed if required.
Jonas Brandstetter, editorial staff