Feldtagebuch - Allein unter Männern (2002)

The film focuses on four women who have chosen a career in the German armed forces. They undergo two months of basic training with the 294th Armored Infantry Battalion at the Alb Barracks in Stetten am kalten Markt. They face the challenges ahead with confidence, although some do not know what they have actually signed up for. The documentary begins with the recruits’ first days at the barracks, showing scenes from drill training, the acclimatization march, the physical fitness test, and marksmanship training. From the outset, three of the four women visibly struggle to meet the physical demands. Unlike the male conscripts, for example, three of the four women are unable to carry their packs during a field exercise and cannot keep up the marching pace even after putting their packs down. The women also show shortcomings in standard gymnastic exercises: none of those shown can perform a proper push-up during service physical training. Early exhaustion and the first absences due to illness follow. The cold, wet weather in November and December, along with the instructors’ behavior, further demoralizes the women. One recruit prematurely ends the training bivouac that follows. After that, she regularly obtains sick leave from the unit doctor. Her behavior makes her an outsider in the platoon. Subsequently, the company commander calls off the entire bivouac because of numerous sick reports. This prompts criticism from the other conscripts regarding the voluntary nature of the female fixed-term soldiers’ commitment. The instructors disagree with the decision to call it off and point to the healthy recruits’ ability to persevere. The unit doctor, however, is also surprised by the high number of newly sick soldiers and suspects the training is excessively harsh. The female recruits criticize the way the instructors treat them. The male recruits have differing opinions about the performance of their female comrades. At the same time, the platoon leader is disappointed by the recruits’ sometimes inadequate readiness and physical fitness, since, unlike the conscripts, they chose this career voluntarily and, as fixed-term soldiers, earn four times as much. The final recruit inspection begins with a briefing on the situation and an optimistic assessment by the platoon leader. The subsequent events include marksmanship, field exercises, and an NBC alarm. Two of the four women perform well and ultimately pass the recruit inspection. Another had already been out for an extended period due to an injury before the inspection and had ended her basic training early. The remaining recruit does not pass the final exercise because she missed training as a result of regularly reporting sick.