For several days, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius struggled to explain himself. A provision in the new Military Service Act, which took effect on January 1, appeared to require men between the ages of 17 and 45 to notify the German military, or Bundeswehr , before taking trips abroad longer than three months. Though it took months for this provision to come to light, the uproar was huge: Why does the Bundeswehr want men to request permission to leave the country if military service in Germany is voluntary? Pistorius this week clarified the situation. "Everyone is allowed to travel, whether they are 17, 45, or anywhere in between, and permission is not currently required," he told the German press agency dpa. The Social Democrat added that an administrative regulation would be issued this week to remove any doubt.…