Recruitment into the professional army is not going as well as it needs to, Chief of the General Staff of the Czech Army Karel Rzheka said on Friday at the opening of the exhibition “Twenty years since the abolition of conscription” in Prague, reports CTK News reported the agency.
“General Rzegka complained that recruitment in the army is not going as well as it should be, but he did not give figures. However, the Ministry of Defense has published some data not only on the current strength of the army, but also on the future. According to the department’s report, at the beginning of 2024, the Ministry of Defense had 27,826 professional military personnel and 4,266 active reserve members. According to the strategic plan of the Ministry of Defense, by 2030 the army would like to have 30,000 professional military personnel and 10,000 active reserve members.” – the message notes.
According to Rzheka, it is important for the army to take into account not only the replenishment of personnel, but also the relationship between how many people are demobilized and how many join the ranks of the army.
“This year the numbers are not good at all and the trend is bad” – the chief of the General Staff told reporters.
In the future, he said, the military will have to take more decisive measures, including benefits for military personnel, because the military is “no longer competitive” in the country’s labor market.
“We have prepared a set of proposed measures for the short and medium term and we are consulting with the ministry. “We are also preparing proposals for some legislative steps.” – added the general.
