ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a brief historic overview of the complex relationship and interdependency between sports and the military in Germany since the early twentieth century. Drawing from interviews conducted with some sports soldiers, it highlights their dual position as both athletes and soldiers to examine their purpose in the military. While sports soldiers function externally to promote Germany's national and global reputation, within the Bundeswehr itself the achievements of sports soldiers function to advance troop cohesion, morale, and a positive spirit. The chapter concludes by dissecting how the Bundeswehr's reliance on sports soldiers for recruitment purposes buttresses the military's larger attempt to rebrand itself as an inclusive, diverse, and welcoming institution. The Bundeswehr's rebranding strategies not only seek to normalize military presence during a time of heightened fears about terrorism and immigration in Europe, but they also obscure a silent remilitarization of society through sports.
