Kate Connolly, The Guardian’s Berlin correspondent, describes the changes in Germany’s military scene. "Not so long ago, to be a German soldier dressed in German uniform was quite a difficult role to embody. I mean, you could be going down the street and you could be spat on, or you could have names called at you." Now, attitudes are shifting. "I’ve recently seen people get into conversation with soldiers, which I hadn’t seen in the past, [and] more recently, somebody going up to a soldier and actually getting him into conversation about his role, and at the end of the conversation, thanking him." Germany is undergoing vast military expansion with new recruitment drives and rearmament campaigns. This shift comes amid complex geopolitical changes that force the country to rethink its security and national identity. The government faces political and economic challenges as it pushes this transformation forward.