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Roundup: Lithuania starts mandatory military conscription process

Xinhua, May 12, 2015 Adjust font size:

The defense ministry of Lithuania on Monday selected candidates for the reintroduced mandatory military service.

The ministry announced a list of 36,825 young men of ages 19 to 26. These men will receive summons to appear for the mandatory military service. The total number of conscripts to be drafted this year is 3,000.

According to Defense Minister Juozas Olekas, the finalization of the lists marks a historic day. The candidates for the military service were selected randomly, using a computer program. The selection process was supervised by public observers, he noted.

Olekas said the Lithuanian army would concentrate on inducting the first conscripts. They are expected to arrive at the army's battalions at the end of August.

VOLUNTEER ACTIVITY

Volunteers who have registered for the nine-month military service will amount to a substantial part of the conscripts.

Authorities say the priority when drafting to the military conscription will be applicable to volunteers, and others will be drafted on a mandatory basis in case number of voluntary soldiers is not sufficient.

The defense ministry reports 1,136 people of ages from 18 to 38 years, including women, have expressed their willingness to join the service voluntarily.

"I'd like to thank Lithuanian youth who have chosen mandatory military service voluntarily," said Olekas in the press conference.

Paramilitary organizations, such as the Riflemen Union, have also recently reported on increased engagement from the volunteers looking for ways to support national defense. The organization of more than 8,000 members saw an increase of 1,000 members last year.

Before starting the conscription process, volunteers were also promised with more pay and social guarantees.

Lithuania, a small Baltic country, reintroduced mandatory military conscription for five years in response to the changing security situation in the Eastern Europe, aiming to improve manning in military units and build up the sufficient military reserve. The conscription in Lithuania was last abolished in 2008. Endit