The Belgian Ministry of Defence will recruit more than 4,000 people next year - a near-record figure, Minister Ludivine Dedonder said on Wednesday.
The roles include 2,500 active military personnel and 460 civilians. There will also be changes for certain categories, such as a relaxation of the selection criteria for aeroplane and helicopter pilots.
"By 2024, the aim is to recruit 1,250 volunteers (soldiers and sailors), 950 non-commissioned officers and 300 officers, giving a total of 2,500 military personnel. To this figure must be added 460 civilians and more than a thousand reservists," Dedonder explained at a press conference at the De Hemptinne barracks in Heverlee, near Leuven.
Defence Minister Dedonder (PS) also gave an overview of the recruitment figures for this year, which will continue until December. "In the next few weeks, 345 officer candidates, 764 non-commissioned officer candidates and 121 volunteer candidates will be joining us," she said. And 352 civilians have joined Defence this year, including some with Rosetta status.
According to the Minister, the medical criteria for selecting military pilots will also be relaxed, with less stringent requirements for eyesight. Applicants will be able to wear glasses or contact lenses, provided they achieve a visual acuity of 10 out of 10.
Defence Minister Ludivine Dedonder meets military personnel at a press conference of Belgian defence to present the recruitment plans for 2024, Wednesday 06 September 2023. Credit: Belga / Jonas Roosens
Similarly, the large number of military personnel who sign up under BDL status (Beperkte Duur, Limited Duration or 'Short Term') for a period of eight years, with the possibility of a four-year extension, will have the opportunity, if they agree, to remain with Defence for life, or even to benefit from social promotion and 'move up' in category.
As for the Special Forces Group (SFG), a small, elite and generally discreet unit of the Belgian army, from next year it will start recruiting civilians directly, breaking with an old tradition whereby aspirants join the ranks first and then undergo the demanding para-commando training. Thirty places are open" for this recruitment, called "Fast Track", said the Minister.
This recruitment is due to start in January 2024, with a selection and recruitment phase that will end in May 2026 for those candidates who pass the tough selection tests.
Belgian Lieutenant-General Thierry Esser is pictured during the press conference. Credit: Belga / Jonas Roosens
Tough selection tests
The entry requirements consist of passing admission tests, a ten-week military initiation phase (PIM), sixteen weeks of professional training, commando and parachutist certification (four and two weeks respectively), an eight-week basic SOF (Special Operations Forces) course, a one-week qualification selection in November 2025 and finally a five-month final qualification course.
Next year, the army will also be recruiting for the first time non-commissioned marine officers for the new Navy unit recreated last June. They will be tasked with protecting port facilities and boarding ships that need to be controlled - a task hitherto carried out by para-commandos.
Defence has also received a large number of applications for the post of inspector with the General Intelligence and Security Service (SGRS): 275 from the Dutch-speaking side and 796 from the French-speaking side.
Credit: Belga / Jonas Roosens
In detail, the army is looking to recruit 1,250 soldiers and sailors (750 Dutch-speaking and 500 French-speaking), 950 non-commissioned officers (558 Dutch-speaking, 375 French-speaking and 17 with no linguistic preference) and 330 officers (161 N, 119 F and 20 either French- or Dutch-speaking) for its four components next year, according to one of those in charge of the recruitment drive, Major Margot Van Waeyenberghe.
It is also looking for 1,080 reservists with "different career paths" (on the basis of call-back days, as a "student-reservist" or as a full-time job for a year).
Ministry of Defence is also looking to recruit 460 civilians, divided into 250 statutory posts (A, B and C levels), ten contract posts and 200 under the Rosetta plan, aimed at young people under the age of 26 with no previous experience required.
Dedonder's objective is to recruit 10,000 people during the current legislature (2019-2024). However, from 2025 onwards, recruitment will have to be reduced to 2,800 people a year.
Full details - including application dates - can be found on the mil.be website.
