No need to put life on hold for a year. Four options to get through state defence service

The requirement for Latvian citizens to go through state defence service, which will take one year of life of a young man, does sound slightly scary, because Latvian residents are used to planning their life without entering military service.
However, the Ministry of Defence has multiple options for residents to learn military skills.
Recruits will be able to pick one of four options:
state defence service;
commander’s course at university;
alternative service;
National Guard.
In the first three options, training will be conducted over a course of 12 months, with one month of free time in the middle, as well as weekend home stay.
If residents pick the National Guard option, they will sign a contract for five-year service. 20 days of training a year is the minimal requirement.
Alternative service involves work in institutions under Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Health or Ministry of Welfare.
In the first stage of the system’s adoption in Latvia the Ministry of Defence will invite Latvian citizens aged 18 to 27 years to volunteer for military training from January 2023 onward. Next year there are plans to let volunteers sign up twice – in January and July. The ministry will develop a mechanism for transparent and fair selection of volunteers.
Approximately 1 000 citizens are planned to be drafted in the first year of State Defence Service – 500 in each of two campaigns. During their service citizens will receive basic military training, specialised military training, and will be put into units for the duration of their service and collective training purposes.
The length of military service will be one year, which will include one month of free time. Troop training is planned to last three months. Another three months are planned for specialised training. The last five months will be spent in collective training and integration in units.
Trainees will be provided with social guarantees. It is planned for them to be provided with compensation of up to EUR 400 a month to cover catering and living in barracks.
The ministry’s goal is reaching 50 000 troops in five years. This will include 14 000 in active units, 16 000 in National Guard units and 20 000 in reserve units.