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Müllheim (dpa / lsw) - The German-French brigade is ready for a deployment in the course of the mass vaccination against the corona virus.
"When the vaccination campaign starts in the coming weeks, the Bundeswehr will of course be available, even if we don't have any specific orders at the moment," said commander Peter Mirow of the "Badische Zeitung" (Saturday) in Müllheim (Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald district).
570 soldiers are currently supporting the health authorities in 37 of 44 districts and urban districts in Baden-Württemberg and are almost exclusively used to track down contacts with corona infected people.
800 soldiers have been ready since March, said Mirow.
"But we can still provide several hundred more soldiers who are ready for action at short notice."
The commander did not express any direct criticism of the pace of the authorities.
“Perhaps from my side, only this much: 800 soldiers have been standing by with us since March and, as already mentioned, 570 are deployed.
Our work began on October 6th at the Freiburg Health Department. "
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The soldiers felt very comfortable because they were perceived as welcome help, Mirow told the newspaper.
"They see themselves as part of a social struggle against the pandemic."
However, the commander also admitted that they didn't want to do the job forever.
"That's not why the soldiers became soldiers to sit in the office and follow up contacts over the phone."
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Information about the Franco-German brigade