Rayhan Butt, an 18-year-old from Bielefeld, discovered his passion for piano a few years ago and now practices up to 12 hours daily. He has signed up for an internship with the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) marching band, planning to join full-time in autumn.

Butt says music is his whole life and he wants to build his future around it. He believes the Bundeswehr offers excellent professional opportunities, including performing before the German chancellor. He supports voluntary military service and would defend Germany if called to fight.

The German regime aims to increase active-duty forces by 80,000 to 260,000 under the Military Service Modernisation Act, which came into effect on January 1. Since then, over 300,000 letters have been sent to 18-year-olds, requesting information on fitness and education. Women are not legally required to respond.

However, opposition to conscription is growing. Official figures show 6,000 young men have applied for exemption on religious and moral grounds this year, surpassing last year's total. A clause requiring prior approval for long stays abroad was repealed after backlash, including protests by 50,000 young people across 90 cities.

Bela Breitner, a 22-year-old computer science student and activist, argues that many young people feel neglected by the state and oppose being forced into combat training. The campaign group plans to continue mobilizing wider support.

Analyst Moritz Graefrath suggests the timing of Germany's military expansion signals commitment to NATO burden-sharing, but the future of conscription depends on perceptions of US reliability and the Russian threat. For now, conscription remains voluntary.

Source: www.aljazeera.com