Defence to double workforce and launch voluntary service year
Belgium’s ministry of Defence has announced ambitious plans to double its personnel by 2035, alongside the introduction of a new voluntary military service year for young people.
A record 4,800 vacancies will be opened next year: 2,800 for military personnel, 1,050 for reservists and 960 for civilians
The army will recruit 1,338 military personnel, the air force 410 and the navy 178, while the medical service is seeking 164. Within 10 years, the ministry aims to grow to 34,500 military personnel, 12,800 reservists and 8,500 civilians.
"We are going to make the ministry of Defence strong and effective again," said Defence minister Theo Francken of N-VA. "That means we need a lot of new people. Ambitions are high, but realistic. There is a lot of interest: on average, we have four applicants per vacancy."
To reach its targets, the ministry is seeking a wide range of profiles. "The days when you could only join the military as a paratrooper are long gone," said Margot Van Waeyenberghe, head of recruitment communications.
"We are looking for IT specialists, warehouse workers and technicians, but also psychologists, educators, prevention advisors and so on. We offer jobs for every field and every level of education."
"The days when you could only join the military as a paratrooper are long gone"
The military has also been investing heavily in modern equipment, including MQ-9B Sky Guardian drones, anti-aircraft guns and F-35 fighter jets.
"Employees at the ministry of Defence will be able to work with high-tech equipment, new vehicles and top-of-the-line infrastructure," Van Waeyenberghe said. A new Cyber Force will also be established next year, with recruits able to complete a bachelor in cybersecurity with financial support from the army.
Voluntary year
Alongside these recruitment efforts, a voluntary service year will be introduced in 2026. All 17-year-olds in Belgium - about 130,000 people - will receive a letter in November with information about the programme. In-person and online information sessions will follow in each province.
Applications open in January 2026, with 500 candidates between 18 and 25 selected to begin in September. Participants will earn a net salary of 2,000 euros per month and serve as reservists in security roles in the army, navy or air force. Another 1,000 places are planned for 2027, with numbers gradually increasing to a maximum of 7,000.
"Reintroducing mandatory military service for everyone isn't in the coalition agreement and isn't an option"
Francken said the programme was not about reintroducing compulsory service. "Reintroducing mandatory military service for everyone isn't in the coalition agreement and isn't an option. The army can't handle it logistically either," he said, though he voiced support for a form of compulsory civilian service in the future.
At the same time, Francken said he hoped the initiative would help revive a sense of civic duty. "It's important for people to give something back to the country. That's only normal. We've all become a bit 'sluggish'. It's necessary to scale up again. You see it happening in all neighbouring countries, and it's a success almost everywhere. The mentality of many young people is positive."
© BELGA PHOTO POOL NICOLAS MAETERLINCK
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