Help for the Orphan Army

For most of the past decade, West Germany's Bundeswehr has been justly known as "the orphan army." Though its authorized strength of 460,000 makes it NATO's largest European land army, it has been plagued by poor pay, rundown garrisons, manpower shortages (the Bundeswehr is below strength by 2,600 officers and 25,000 noncoms) and inept civilian leadership. Reacting to the strident heel clicking of the Nazi era, the public held the military in low esteem--an attitude abetted by baggy, dull gray uniforms that made even generals look like sloppy bus drivers.

When Willy Brandt's traditionally antimilitary Social Democratic Party took the helm in Bonn last fall, the unhappy men of the Bundeswehr were certain that bad would go to worse. They were concerned when Brandt chose as his Defense Minister Helmut Schmidt, then the party's Bundestag floor leader, who did not even want the job because it was regarded as a political graveyard. Concern turned to alarm when Schmidt created a McNamara-like think tank headed by Dr. Theo Sommer, 39, an intellectual and deputy editor of the highly regarded liberal weekly Die Zeit; to some military men, it was like turning John Kenneth Galbraith loose in the Pentagon. But the Bundeswehr has been pleasantly surprised, for Schmidt has brought to his job the same imagination and flair that Brandt has brought to the chancellorship. Most important, he actually seems to care about the orphans in his charge.

White Book. Schmidt quickly set Sommer's brain trust to work probing every facet of life in the Bundeswehr. He was particularly interested in improving morale. As Sommer put it: "The soldier limps and lags behind society. He is in a dismal state. Propping up the morale of the army is not so much a question of pay as of living conditions and schooling." Last week the results of Sommer's study, in the form of a 211-page White Book, were debated in the Bundestag. The report discusses everything from weapons development to whether recruits should be issued new or used underwear (new is recommended) and even takes a position on beards (O.K., as long as they fit under gas masks).

The White Book assumes that 1) the Bundeswehr budget will remain close to $5.5 billion annually for several years, 2) troop strength will stay at the current 460,000 level, and 3) the draft will continue for the moment. From there, the report envisions far-reaching ' changes, all designed to boost morale:

> Immediate across-the-board promotions for 5,000 sergeants and 4,000 officers, coupled with pay hikes of up to 60% for all enlisted men.

> A massive building program at long-neglected Bundeswehr caserns, including 27,000 new apartments that would give every NCO his own room; new barracks, canteens, sport facilities and even saunas.

To pay for the program, which will cost an estimated $176 million annually through 1973, the White Book proposes drastic cuts in the purchase of new tanks, aircraft and other advanced weapons. Says Schmidt: "What good are tanks and planes if we haven't solved the personnel problems?"

Ruggedly handsome and articulate, Schmidt is regarded by some U.S. defense experts as the best West German Defense Minister since the war. "He hit the ground running," said a Pentagon official. Schmidt dashes about the country in his air-force JetStar visiting Bundeswehr garrisons. Earlier this year he held press conference-like sessions with groups of soldiers and officers. Before the White Book was released, he spent 45 hours discussing it with top officers.

The upshot of Schmidt's efforts has been a notable boost in the morale of the baggy-pants army--an important step toward his long-range goal of creating an all-volunteer force. Not the least among his reforms is a remedy for the military's rumpled look. The army is now getting a new uniform with multicolored berets, slimmer jackets and wrinkle-resistant trousers.

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