The number of people looking to become army reservists has surged by 68% compared to last year, a provisional review by the Ministry of Defence shows. Next year, the department is looking to recruit 1,050 people.
On Thursday, the Ministry of Defence announced its staffing plans for the next year. It hopes to recruit 2,500 soldiers for active duty, 960 civilians, and 1,050 reservists.
The increase in applications for reservist positions has been welcomed by the Ministry of Defence. Margot Van Waeyenberghe, from the recruitment service, attributes the success to recruitment campaigns and increased visibility of the Defence on the street. She also suggests the changing global security situation has played a role.
Based on applications received this year, the ministry expects a large number of highly qualified reservists. Of the 2,083 applications received, there were 543 officer candidates, 587 non-commissioned officer candidates and 314 soldier or seaman reservist candidates – a 68% increase compared to the last year.
The 2024 forecast also looks positive for other positions, the outgoing Minister of Defence Ludivine Dedonder said. “So far, 9,895 young people have applied for one or more positions as active military – a 35% increase compared to the same period in 2023. We’ve roughly met our four-year goal of recruiting 10,000 military personnel from 2021 to 2024”.
Dedonder took the opportunity to criticise leaked plans from the formation talks for the new Federal Government. These documents included a proposal by Bart De Wever to delay military retirement age to 67 years old. The minister pointed out that this would put additional financial strain on the Defence budget and noted that a soldier in their sixties does not have the same physical abilities as a young recruit.
