In the third round of conscription for Latvian military service, it is planned to randomly recruit 150 more people, as reported by the Ministry of Defence.
515 Latvian citizens have volunteered for military service in Latvia so far. 320 of them have passed medical examination and were declared fit for service.
It is necessary to recruit 480 people in the third round of conscription. This is why on the 23rd of January there will be a lottery, during which 300 recruits will be randomly selected. The selected persons will receive notification to pass a medical examination. They will be required to show up at the National Armed Forces’ Medical Centre in Riga. 150 people will be recruited after medical examinations.
According to data compiled by the Ministry of Defence, there are currently 22 539 men, Latvian citizens aged 18 to 19. A total of 3 581 of citizens meet the initial requirement to serve in the military.
Latvian citizens – men – born after the 1st of January 2004 are subject to service in the army.
Randomly selected recruits are registered across administered territories. Each one gets a number. Selection is done using a unique random number generation tool created specifically for military recruitment purposes.
The recruitment process will be monitored by a specially-composed committee. Its members will include representatives from various departments of the Ministry of Defence (except for the State Defence Service and the Information and Communication Technology Department), which will be observing the process and its legitimacy.
The ministry stresses that results will be published with anonymity – only the numbers given to citizens participating in the lottery will be published. Youngsters selected randomly will be sent a notification to come to a health examination at a specific time.
Youngsters who receive such notifications will have five days to fill and submit a form either electronically or in writing.
The selected youngsters who will not be selected for military service for any reason will be informed of this decision.
Military service can be postponed for a later date, but for no longer than until a person reaches the age of 26, and only for a serious reason, such as acquisition of higher education, sports competition, child care leave or other serious family-related reasons.
The National Defence Service is part of a comprehensive national defence to strengthen Latvia’s defence capabilities. Russia has been a long-standing threat to Latvia’s security, and Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine has fundamentally changed Europe’s security environment, the ministry notes.
Also read: NATO to hold largest exercise since Cold War, involving 90 000 troops
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Latvia to randomly recruit 150 more citizens into military service
