BERLIN, August 27. /TASS/. The German government has endorsed Defense Minister Boris Pistorius’s bill on a new model of military service, the DPA news agency reported.
The bill introduces a voluntary military service similar to Sweden, where all school leavers are subject to military examination but only some eventually enter active service. The document also contains certain "mandatory elements," which in particular reinstate the examination of conscripts and oblige all men between 18 and 25 years old to fill out a form with a paragraph on their readiness to perform military service. Women may do so voluntarily.
The authorities aim to make military service more appealing. To this end, they plan to increase military salaries, cover some costs for new recruits, including driving licenses, expand career and training opportunities, and improve access to language courses and sports facilities. Those who decide to remain in the army will receive additional payments.
The bill also specifies the conditions under which compulsory military service may be reintroduced. This may occur if the security situation deteriorates and the country faces a shortage of volunteers to ensure national security and carry out NATO missions.
