“27,291 Lithuanian citizens entered this year’s list of conscripts,” Arūnas Balčiūnas, director of the Military Conscription and Recruitment Service of the Lithuanian Army, said on Thursday after the list of conscripts was drawn up.
The list of conscripts will be publicly published on the page next week, until January 10 sauktiniai.karys.lt. A. Balčiūnas emphasized that paper invitations are not sent to young people by mail.
“Those who got on the list for the first time, they start the procedures from the very first instruction – to contact. Then there is a health check, if found fit, then a duty station is assigned,” he explained.
The conscript list was compiled by a computer program in the presence of independent observers. It was launched by the Deputy Minister of National Defense Žilvinas Tomkus with a symbolic push of a button. The program compiled the list in just over an hour.
This year, 3,845 young men are being called up for the nine-month continuous mandatory initial military service. 18-23-year-old boys are invited to military service.
The start of service of the first conscripts is planned at the beginning of February – in the Air Defense Battalion of the Air Force in Radvilišky.
Students will not be conscripted, but may be drafted for one more year after graduating from high school up to the age of 26. They can interrupt their studies during the period of compulsory military service or complete the training of junior officer commanders within three years.
There is also the possibility of voluntary non-permanent military service in the National Defense Volunteer Forces.
Young men and women between the ages of 18 and 38 who are not included in the list will continue to be able to choose military service of their own free will. They will be given the opportunity to choose the desired place and time of service and receive the maximum cumulative benefits.
In the future, they hope to call up to 5 thousand. young people
“This year, the convocation system is still taking place according to the current procedure. (…) We hope that the Seimas will approve the proposals on the amendment of the Conscription Law, which provide for changes and the creation of legal prerequisites to move towards universal conscription”, Ž. commented to journalists after the launch of the program. Tomkus.
Last year, at the end of the fall session, the Seimas approved the draft reform, which would allow more young people to be called up.
According to the new option presented by the Government, young people aged 18-21 who have graduated from school would be called to serve, and young people studying in higher education institutions would not be allowed to postpone their service.
The reform of conscripts also provides an opportunity for young men to choose – they could serve for six or nine months.
“We encourage young people to choose for nine months, because compulsory military service is the first step towards professional military service. We would like to attract more young people to choose the military profession”, said Ž. Tomkus.
The Ministry of Education hopes that after the implementation of the reform, it would be possible to call up to 5,000 people every year. young people.
“There is a need and there are opportunities. (…) If there was a transition to a new system in 2025, it would not be that we would immediately reach 5 thousand. (conscripts). The Lithuanian army has to adapt to that change, it takes time,” said the vice-minister.
KAM calculates that if about 5 thousand people were summoned. young people, three to five million euros should be invested.
Conscription reform has been negotiated for almost a year, but the ruling conservatives hope to reach an agreement with the parties on universal conscription as well.
“A universal call would require much larger resources, because we would be talking about a new structure, a new infrastructure,” said Ž. Tomkus.
In 2015, the Seimas renewed the nine-month permanent mandatory initial military service.
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2024-07-02 13:46:54