David is a soldier

“I am doing my part.” You wouldn’t dare admit that so openly—it would immediately spark discussions about what that’s all about. David Matei, who loves to explain the world and service in the Bundeswehr and has made a name for himself doing so, has actually done exactly that—he’s done his part. But not in the movies or in science fiction, but with the Bundeswehr’s Mountain Infantry in Bavaria.

You don’t become an officer in the Mountain Infantry unless you’re tough as nails. And he had to be—otherwise, he wouldn’t have made it through the program and risen through the ranks. Incidentally, he admits that he became a soldier because he wanted “the money,” revealing his pragmatic approach to military service. But he’s learned a lot—about the different kinds of people and the shared challenges. It ended up being 15 years before he recently left the Bundeswehr—he likely got his biggest inspiration while in service when he became a youth officer. And that’s how he ended up in exactly the role that suits him: talking to people and presenting content concisely on TikTok. He’s good at it—many people listen to him. David, the Bundeswehr’s likable secret weapon.

The title of his book “Germany Is Worth It”—which, by the way, reveals much more about David and how he sees things—stems from a TV debate with a smug pacifist who holds a different view. This commitment—which we understand as a declaration of love without pathos—gives his service meaning even beyond any pay: to live freely in a society that provides schools and hospitals, that allows for different opinions, and that must also be defended when necessary. Here I am. I’m giving something back—with my life and limb, if it comes to that. David’s book itself is a conversation with the reader, in which he explains his view of things. That is precisely its strength. And that’s what makes reading it so compelling—and so engaging, just like listening to David. You should treat yourselves to it.

“Germany Is Worth It: Why I Swore to Fight for My Country”, by David Matei, Herder Verlag, Freiburg im Breisgau 2026, 160 pages, 18 euros – available HERE on Amazon or through the bookstore of your choice.

DAVID MATEI on TikTok