german peacekeeping troops on patrol in mali. there's often face the biggest challenge i've ever faced because. the troops are still finding their way around. isn't outsiders so we're trying to get a grip on the situation. there mr baez to some this mission raises serious ethical questions. what are we doing here is this what should we be here and. the. first lieutenant mathias laina is a platoon leader in mountain infantry company base need bad reichenhall in bavaria in a few weeks he'll head out on his first foreign mission to mali. will know what we're

going to know if anything needs fixing tell me otherwise i'll assume it's ok of walls on. this and i know it's good to have gotten used to the idea of foreign deployment and you learn that early on if you're in the military you're probably going to be sent overseas but you never know when or where or when all of us on the ground. and off our dogs you get your orders and you go where they tell you and. the tradition of course there are ways to get out of those kinds of missions but generally speaking it's not open to discussions and even. those from the us understand about it. mathias is twenty seven years old he and his wife clara live in munich. they got married recently and she's now pregnant

mathias and clara grew up in berlin and have known each other since their school days after he graduated from high school mathias signed up for a twelve year hitch in the bundeswehr later he attended officer training school. i mean if i'm you going to that my family was surprised they had no ties at all to the military but even in my high school it was really unusual for anyone to consider military service even the hope didn't. have at the time i thought the bundeswehr would offer me a little adventure and a chance to work outdoors like you can also in some awful that's why i joined the so this was a good sort now he's going on a dangerous mission sensitiveness route i'm actually pretty nervous about it sunday i'm not worried about his personal safety but these soldiers have to face all kinds of challenges and that can cause a lot of stress including psychological stress so to see out the last few years i

kind of i'm concerned about all that stuff but if you join the point where you have certain responsibilities and i believe that jamie is right to take on these kinds of missions i just wish that they wouldn't send my husband to dangerous places but that's how it is his. dismissal. at the bundeswehr combat training center new mag to bug you ten atlanta and his platoon a preparing for their mission which will probably involve counted insurgency measures. wanted to. give good do it today we're going to simulate a patrol in an operational area. by the goal for the goal of this goal our job will be to secure the perimeter of the battle and prevent direct or indirect attacks on our camp. well. oh boy

if we're attacked it's important to take cover and establish fire superiority for you with the lights off that's the background any questions on that it's. also going to destroy our platoon is made up of. a pretty diverse group of guys and we have to learn to work together the rules on the news aren't going to see it when we're finished with this training program i want to be sure that my men will be ready for this mission. and when you call. this situation will be new for me and that creates a certain amount of tension. it's also new for most of these men. when it's their first real mission in a conflict zone specifically molly. if you really feel it's all your.

the soldiers have no idea what's going to happen during this exercise. this vehicle is about to hit an i.e.d. o.b.b. track. i know you do young to your i.e.d. on to gether three this is fall should we close the road or keep going. higher but this is very close the road where you are. right delta told one knock. this is true i've got two wounded here one with birds you still drawn on my. office's monitor and evaluate the exercise now the wounded are being brought to safety and then you have the consequence of these exercises you just rely on your training but you don't get emotional about it because it's just practice i haven't experienced the real thing yet but often we don't need as was just all just.

linda has called in a helicopter to transport the wounded the platoon secu is the area and blocks off the road standard operating procedure but the instructors say that the men stayed too long that the new vehicle. i don't just focus on first i like the entire unit is pinned down near the vehicles and it may be attacked again so leave the kill zone as quickly as possible. and that's just all still carry on the way and just provide covering fire and get as far away from the vehicle as you can since it is because it. is now packing for his mission in mali twelve thousand un peacekeeping troops are already there the german soldiers will receive extra hot chip pay so what is art to advise and it looks like we'll have just two minutes a day to take

a shower. i can do that before i go to bed well that was involved. it's always been the best i think i weigh about one hundred twenty kilos with the body armor and all the other combat here you could do without it i weighed ninety three kilos or something like that of being right. in the sun say i'm twenty seven years old i've trained forty one men to the point where i feel comfortable serving with them on a mission for four months when you know we're headed for a conflict zone of the corps people can be killed. that's something you could never imagine happening in germany. and how do i deal with all of this expensive equipment and you know me when it's all on my shoulders like lieutenant laina the miracle worker and you know once a lot. oh.

this is the transport facility at cologne bourne airport after almost a year of planning training and practice lieutenant lin and his unit a starting their first overseas mission. to the north of me to call i've known for some time what i'm getting into and now we're under way we've trained for this and i'd say that i'm pretty relaxed right now that mitchell search for one of the four. lane and his men will be in mali for at least four months.

this is the city of galle in northern mali about ninety thousand people live here a rich mix of ethnic groups tribes and religions in two thousand and twelve torah gravels an islamist fighters occupied the city the rebels like to declared the region's independence from the rest of the country. in twenty thirteen the united nations sent peacekeeping troops to the region today more than fifteen thousand soldiers from nearly fifty countries are serving there about a thousand german troops are stationed at camp castor near the airfield on the outskirts of gal. you can get used to just about anything but it's still stressful. and there are more pleasant things to do than working outside all day in forty degree heat and then spending the evening in a tent with nine or ten other guys. and. people are always coming and going

and we do guard duty in shifts some of the guys have to get up at four in the morning to do that. so you have to be considerate of the people in your tent. so you think this normal guy and there's no place here where you can just be by yourself. and. as soon as his unit arrives at the camp they stop preparing for this mission. the moment if you want to meet with the squad leaders today. the. first thing to morrow morning. i'm always right we'll take care of the stuff on your to do list so i won't have to deal with it tomorrow or. we'll let the guys rest and get ready. and what are they going to. give us. the new troops to set to head out on the first patrol tomorrow when they're off to the soldiers are not allowed to

leave the camp because of the threat of insurgent attacks. just you know. this mission requires a sense of duty that there's no room for emotion here if you don't feel like carrying out a particular order and you can't just refuse you have to do it and do it well because that's part of the job that's all it can be frustrating sometimes but you just have to deal with it all fulfillment to with. the officer who len is replacing gives him a status update including local insurgent activity man and his unit will serve as a quick reaction force known as q.r. if it's short. they can equip the clinic you are after is like a fire brigade we don't know if a dangerous situation develops somewhere it's our job to respond to it want to. be too good anything can happen and we have to be prepared to move out quickly and deal with it. and that's what i've done this. if someone needs help and they

call us. if it's time for reconnaissance patrol. on the van not with i'm are going to drive around the city so that we can get a general idea of the layout going on often don't you wouldn't call both. sets this woman as evidence you that's not unusual to see someone walking around with a gun but you never know which side they're on. or there are a lot of dangers that you just can't see the threat of attack is always there. on the other hand some of the local residents wave at us especially the kids going off

and on and that's a positive development that was due. to. the patrol arrives at an observation post and gets a briefing on the situation there. wasn't the what about that checkpoint but a fog this area is controlled by fire by the mali and government troops. lies there some esko barriers there i never got a machine gun and the guys spend most of the day just lying around in the shade. mali's military doesn't have the troops all the equipment to provide proper security in this part of the country that's why the un peacekeepers are here. meanwhile in munich clara has been taking her lower exams and she's well along in her pregnancy. the type of your plans are time goes by slowly but i've got

a lot going on right now i'm taking my exams when i'm pregnant with our first child and of course i really miss my husband but he and i are a team and we both have different things to take care of. guys with i was up still i miss having him here to take over some of the work. or to just give me a hug. or two louis as part. mathias sends a text message he wants to know how she is and he writes a little about his mission is that he also miss him doesn't provide a lot of detail because he doesn't want me to worry but i'm especially concerned that he might develop psychological problems that could happen if they were actually involved in combat but there's going to be a lot of stress until he comes back. and then if the first few weeks months i'll see whether he's changed and if so. i'll focus on the call.

my wife is that home alone and pregnant. well she's in a tough position and that just breaks my heart and i don't like to think about the fact that i had to leave her by herself at this difficult time. when his unit has been here for three months now. going on very. nothing another day of doing nothing i suppose i could work out but tonight i just want to relax. but suddenly it's time to go to work i don't have to push to the spot and you will be. delta is lieutenant lynas call sign in radio traffic. they're going to tell to all units move out of the idea of.

course has come in that there's a cache of explosives hidden on a road north of gal this represents a danger to soldiers and civilians elaina's platoon is ordered to find secure and defuse the explosives they'll be accompanied by a munitions disposal team from cambodia. dead all along the altar to all units situation report we're going to get new coordinates from the cambodians good i'll get them to you shortly right now we're just a little north of those new coordinates. is the only going over we still don't know exactly what we're dealing with so we've set up a large security perimeter because of the nature of the terrain. the cambodians are sweeping the area right now. they have a wide area to cover them as not proper that cover. the cambodian troops use

metal detectors to look for mines unexploded ordinance and booby traps any mistakes can be deadly. but there was a lot of past the status report along to the joint operations command line and the phone intercepts with the sweep turned up nothing so the cambodians are going to call off the search the way. sometimes a mission just doesn't work out. from time to time i ask myself is what are we actually doing here should we be here at all. what makes us different from guys who are just looking for a little excitement. bombs in view but are we better than guys who drive around in the desert where they could be killed by an i.e.d. or stung by a scorpion. so names for. clara keeps hearing media reports about attacks in mali that cause casualties but she tries to lead a normal life and in front of her friends she puts on

a great face. if the u.n. troops are involved in the fighting my husband couldn't tell me about it anyway and i worry that one day the door bell will ring them and someone in uniform will be standing there that kind of fear just paralyzes you the others didn't and talk. the whole. in this training exercise an armored vehicle has hit a baby trap. the driver is seriously wounded and his unit provides first aid get them both free and much like that i think response can mean the difference between life and death. all the statistics all say the statistics show that the mortality rate is highest during the first hour. that's why it's so

important to treat the wounded as quickly as possible. even jaring a training exercise like this the troops try to make that sixty minute standard rescue helicopters take off from camp caster with doctors and paramedics on board. yet more will do more that it's now nine thirty seven. if they still need twenty minutes they're behind schedule but there must've been some communication problems that's definitely too long. the rescue helicopter arrives just in time the wounded soldier is put on board in the end things turned out ok. young wasn't going to thank god we haven't had to deal with the real thing yet when it's like you don't think about the fact that it could happen at any time because i

wasn't going to. get a car you know nobody wants to take a human life without good reason but we're here to carry out our mission and to do that we have to be properly prepared. and. i'm fully aware of the fact that under extreme circumstances i may have to kill someone or order my men to kill us. but we will only do so when it's absolutely necessary. and this. is. the u.n. peacekeepers a trying to stabilize the political situation in mali and to protect its people. like this all this village has a small community center a school and a mosque today we're going to meet the village elder. it's about five hundred meters from here. but even a short man. march without an armored vehicle for protection is dangerous in this

part of the country. the village called the tal is located about an hour's drive north of gal. with. bubba the love here for. this visit is part of lieutenant lin his effort to learn more about the local residents there's a. new story. to my public. good. jaring these meetings you tenant always tries to be friendly. to the village elder is pleased that the german troops are here. we smile we have a lot of problems in mali and the un peacekeepers are helping us to solve them they should stay here if they grieve things could get difficult again.

these personal contacts with local residents showed the german soldiers that their mission is important. it's not just sitting around in the desert. almost five months have passed now since laina and his men arrived in mali. they spent weeks touring reconnaissance patrols and support work but they never fired a shot. and now it's time to return to germany. back home critics have complained that the mission in mali has not achieved much they say that germany has no business sending troops here. but these soldiers are here to carry out their orders even if they didn't agree with some of them. some of our orders were nonsense in fact a lot of them were we all wondered what we were doing here i certainly did because

of all still every single one of you did your damn job and you did it well. on the gulf. news. and now after one hundred forty one days in mali lieutenant linna is on his way back to germany. because if you start the cycle i can definitely say that this mission changed me on this but i can't say how just yet it's not so i think i'll find out only after i get home and start interacting with people again that's going to start a space in their souls i. mean . it's two months mathias clara and their infant daughter have moved from munich to bad russian hall

a mountain infantry brigade is stationed near the town. north of i was lucky because i didn't become depressed after our mission with the before and i love being with my daughter but a new baby is a real challenge. was i don't have time to think about anything else. and who to talk good job well done. this flow will is this i think he's a lot more coming relaxed than he used to be. especially in stressful situations. what he wants now and how to get it i think that he's learned what's important to him in life this is where and who comes to mr. sinclair to night is given that there will be more missions probably in mali again for sure but i have new responsibilities now because i have

a family i can't think about the military all the time. it was but someone has to sign up for those missions. i think it's important to make a contribution to society that it doesn't matter whether it's working in a nursing home for the elderly or picking up the garbage every day and. for me also my contribution to society is military service because it offline and i'm convinced that it's an important one causes in the published issue and. that's what. the parliamentary mandate for the bundesbank mission to mali is jus to expire in maine twenty nineteen the book is titled to side with the tour in us.

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