Inka von Puttkamer, 41, to take command of the 3rd minesweeping squadron in Kiel from next Wednesday. She succeeds 43-year-old Carsten Schlüter, who is moving to the naval command in Rostock.
The squadron includes ten minehunters. Women are still a minority in the force. According to the Bundeswehr, 24,000 female soldiers are currently serving - and the number is rising. The German Bundestag's defense commissioner, Eva Högl (SPD), had already called for an increase in the proportion of women.