Carsten Breuer

Carsten Breuer (born 1 December 1964) is a German Army general serving as the 17th and current Inspector General of the Bundeswehr. Prior to his appointment to the post, Breuer served as the first commander of the Bundeswehr Homeland Defence Command and is also known for his role as commander of the COVID-19 Task Force. Breuer also served as commander of the Bundeswehr Territorial Command, the 37 Armoured Infantry Brigade and the 12 Armoured Air Defence Gun Battalion.

Early life and education Breuer was born in Letmathe, a small suburb located at North Rhine-Westphalia on 1 December 1964. In 1984, upon graduating high school, Breuer entered the Bundeswehr under the 11th Air Defense Regiment (Flugabwehrregiment 11) in Achim and later moved to the Army Air Defence Training Centre in Rendsburg to complete the officer candidate school from 1984 to 1985. After completing his course, Breuer was transferred to the Helmut Schmidt University to finish his education and graduated in 1988 with a degree in educational theory. Breuer later finished the General Staff Officer Course at the Bundeswehr Command and Staff College 1995 to 1997 and the US Command and General Staff Officers’ Course at the United States Army Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas in the United States from 2001 to 2002.

In October 2022, amidst the creation of the Bundeswehr Homeland Defence Command, Breuer was named as the command's first commander. During his stint, Breuer was tasked to highlight the importance of strengthening the country's operational readiness in times of war, amidst the risks posed by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Breuer was named as the new Inspector General of the Bundeswehr on 13 March 2023 and replaced General Eberhard Zorn, who was placed under early retirement. The move came due to reported disagreements on Zorn's assessment to the War in Ukraine by government officials including the Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius, wherein Zorn commented on Ukraine's inability to launch a counterattack on Russian positions in Ukraine. Zorn's comments came under criticism from various officials, including former US officials and commanders. Breuer was also eventually promoted to the rank of General. On 08 February 2024, General Breuer, alongside Major General Christian Freuding and other key officials, visited Kyiv in Ukraine and met the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine General Valerii Zaluzhnyi and talked about the importance of defence cooperation and exchanges of ideas between the two countries. On 18 April 2024, in the aftermath of the NATO meeting in Poland regarding the situation in Ukraine, Breuer called for preparations for the next 5 to 8 years due to potential Russian attacks on NATO countries. The calls were made based on their analysis and stated that an attack "is possible" as Russia continues to build its military muscle amidst its invasion of Ukraine.

Dates of promotion

Awards from military service

2021 Flood Service Medal Brandenburg Oderflut Flood Protection Medal (1997) Elbe Flood Medal (2002)

Saxony Flood Assistance Medal (2013) Saxony Forest Fire Service Medal (2022) Brandenburg Forest Fire Service Medal (2022) Lübtheen Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Forest Fire Service Medal (2019) Commemorative Medal of the Chief of the General Staff of the Slovak Armed Forces, 1st Degree Badge of Honour For Merits to the Czech Army, 1st Degree (2026)

US Army Command and General Staff College International Graduate Badge

Personal life Breuer is married and has three children.