Since November of last year until January 14, the Ministry of Defense of Latvia has invited Latvian citizens aged 18 to 27 to voluntarily apply for service in the armed forces. Data from the Ministry of Defense shows that just over half of the required number of young people have signed up.
If the necessary number of conscripts is not recruited by the end of the application period, the missing individuals will be selected randomly in January.
As 20-year-old Kristaps Vilks, a native of Barkava in the Madona region, shared, he is glad that he was chosen and is serving in the army. Kristaps studied geography at the University of Latvia and was drafted into the army for 11 months after his first year. Now, having served almost half of his term, the young man admits that he somewhat regrets not having volunteered for service, as he was worried about whether he could meet the physical standards.
"At first, it was hard, but when you see your progress, joy and a sense of satisfaction come," Kristaps said.
In the July conscription, the National Armed Forces need to recruit 1,470 young people, and up to 700 young people can voluntarily enlist for a five-year service in the National Guard. According to Ministry of Defense representative Aija Freiberg, volunteers have a number of advantages, such as the opportunity to study at a university or college for free after completing their service and a more significant amount of compensation.
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