European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 14, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Nato newest Magazine f recruits East germans in the bundles Werby Marc Fisher Washington Post first col. Hans Georg Wieche got a new uniform. Then he got a new mind set. Both Are More comfortable than the old ones but still they could use some breaking in. For 23 years Wieche a career officer in the defunct German democratic republics National Peoples army steeped himself in military history and strategy a of the soviet Union. He Learned russian attended a soviet military Academy and grew to View the West through a soviet filter world War ii was the great patriotic War a Battle to the death for the soviet fatherland Over German fascists the German Federal Republic was the postwar manifestation of the fascist tradition a cruel capitalist Behemoth whose military apparatus was riddled with sex nazis. But Wieche woke up on the morning of oct. 3 As an officer in the bund Estehr which until then had been the army of West Germany he and about 80 of his comrades were immersed recently in a course on Western values military tradition politics and leadership a a three week baptism in the ways of the former enemy Quot to suddenly be a part of that Western Alliance that was our enemy. Its incredible Quot Wieche said Over a military lunch of boiled potatoes boiled pork and Beans at the bundles wehry sinner leadership Center in Koblenz. The once fearsome National Peoples army a the front line of the Warsaw pact in cold War scenarios that chilled two generations a had dwindled to fewer than 50,000 soldiers by the time the Germany United. Now at least for a two year trial period those troops Are the German bund Estehr East a same men same bases but facing a different direction. Historians at the officers training Center at Koblenz High above the meeting Point of the Rhine and Mosel Rivers have searched through the centuries and cannot find another task like theirs absorb More or less As equals an enemy army acquired in Friendship and peace. In the coming months hundreds of former East German officers will go West for three weeks of classes role playing exercises and late night talks. Bund Estehr officers Are taking their new colleagues Home to meet their families to used car lots and department stores to learn about a Market Economy the blending of germans East and West is not automatic. For decades both armies claimed to be the True descendants of the Best German military tradition. Each accused the other of inheriting the nazi legacy of following orders without a moral filter. Each considered the other Little More than a tool of its dominating superpower. But Only one survived. And despite the Eastern germans Pride in their army a role in the peaceful revolution last fall the West German military is qualitatively different from its stalinist Cousin. A the former East German army was much More Rixe me nazis driven by an unflinching discipline Quot contends Dona Abenheim a specialist on the German military at the . Naval postgraduate school in Monterey Calif. Quot the West German bund Estehr was also created out of a totalitarian army the nazi wehrmacht Quot Abenheim said Quot but the West germans developed a very enlightened torm of discipline and leadership based on the idea that an army in a democracy must treat people fairly. It will take years Tor the East germans to really  before the former East German officers can fully immerse German defers ceremony for soldiers of the defunct German democratic Republic s National people s y themselves in the bund Estehr they must first fight for their jobs. A we know what happens Here at the Koblenz Center for three weeks and then we know nothing said maj. Detlef Thiele 34 a a military career was supposed to be a guaranteed life for 25 years or More. Now we can be let go at any  few a very few a of the former East German officers will eventually be accepted As career bund Estehr officers. Those who Are in most cases will be knocked Down several ranks the German military has committed itself to shrinking from 550,000 troops to 370,000 in the next few years. Until they learn their Fate the Eastern officers Are paid far less than their Western counterparts. Quot if we gave them the same salary we get a said bund Estehr capt. Walter will take years for the East germans to really adapt. Kummel Quot then they would again be a privileged class in their society and we do not want that. The Eastern germans also face open resentment and hostility from Western German officers who do not like the idea of having communist party members in their army. The bund Estehr refused to take on the political officers who monitored each unit but every former East German officer had to belong to the party. East German officers Quot Are absolutely preoccupied with their private family future Quot said adm. Ulrich Hundt the indoctrination centers commander. Quot of course Many Are like a sponge. They write everything Down because he laughed a it is the truth nothing but the truth. A but to a considerable extent they Are unreachable. They done to talk to each other. Their inner attitudes Are still tense. They Are struggling for  there Are signs that the Eastern officers take quickly and Well to the More individualistic ways of the Western military. In one role playing exercise recently at Koblenz the officers a ii i i la amhara 1a 1 Sqq i were divided into nato and Warsaw pact nations and sent off to create a new european Security system. Officers representing Warsaw pact countries came Back quickly with an easy consensus a barely any discussion no conflict. The nato group however got bogged Down in vituperative arguments Over the demands of each country. The officers took to their Western roles with a vengeance investing each country with a personality and a position the officers considered Worth fighting for. Asked to defend the interests of Warsaw pact countries the officers took the path of least resistance. There was one major said later Quot nothing Worth really arguing  the teachers were pleased but have no illusions about transforming their Eastern colleagues in a three week course. Hundt concluded that the East germans Quot Are not prepared to say a no Captain i disagree with an immoral command. I will not do  and that is the first step to a made in Germany culture of leadership to disagree rot without respect but to say freely what you Are  what distinguishes the bund Estehr from other armies East or West is what the germans Call  a commitment to Delegate authority to such an extent that All soldiers feel Able to make their own decisions. Quot that s Why we fought pretty brilliantly in the two world wars and were respected for it Quot Hundt said. Quot it takes months and months to teach this. Really it is a lifelong  Eastern German students say they appreciate the Western German desire to prevent the Blind obedience of the nazi Era. But they say the former East German army had similar rules. Quot this is not fully new for us Quot Wieche said. Quot if i was in a situation where my life would be endangered by an order i was supposed to say no. Maybe it  have worked that Way but our military leadership was moral enough to refuse to fire on the demonstrators last  the final act of the National Peoples army really a decision not to act a made Many officers proud. By staying at their bases during last fall s mass demonstrations the officers argue the army did its part to bring Down the communist regime. Bund Estehr officers Are encouraging the Eastern germans to find some value in their past. Quot these men Are developing a Story of their life for their children and this Story cannot be All one of failure Quot Hundt said. Quot but we do have to make corrections in this Story. After All we have two different German Milit Aries and history told us last fall a right you  a a a. Pavana attn re Ronco