Five hundred young adults will begin a voluntary year of service with the Ministry of Defence in the coming months. All training places for the first intake of the first voluntary service year are now full, Defence Minister Theo Francken has announced.
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500 young recruits ready to start voluntary service year
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In September, all 17-year-olds in Belgium received an invitation to undertake a year of military service. A total of 3,248 out of 130,000 signed up.
Only 80 of the 500 selected are women. Fifty-five of them have joined the Army, 12 the Air Force and 13 the Navy. The group comprises 283 Dutch-speaking and 217 French-speaking volunteers. They are all aged between 18 and 25.
There are also candidates on a reserve list to cover any cancellations or dropouts at the start.
They will grow, take on challenges and experience what it means to be part of the Ministry of Defence
“Through the voluntary military service year, they will gain an insight into the Ministry of Defence, develop discipline, a sense of responsibility and team spirit, and contribute to the resilience of our society,” said Francken.
The first 75 volunteers will begin training with the Air Force on 8 September. From 26 September, 50 young people will undertake training with the Navy. The remaining 375 will arrive on 29 and 30 September at barracks in Amay, Berlaar and Peutie for training with the Army.
According to Francken, in addition to basic military training, the recruits will gain experience in an operational unit and develop skills that are also of value outside defence.
“They will grow, take on challenges and experience what it means to be part of the Ministry of Defence,” he said. “Anyone wishing to continue their service after this year can, of course, reapply to the Ministry of Defence as a serving soldier or a reservist.”