site.btaAtlantic Council Argues that Suggested Introduction of Voluntary Military Service May Undermine Military Professionalism

Sofia, January 22 (BTA) - In a position made available to media outlets and published on its website Monday, the Atlantic Council of Bulgaria /ACB/ think tank argues that at the backdrop of  the current problems faced by the sector, the suggested introduction of voluntary military service may only undermine the military professionalism, divert limited financial resources and cause demotivation in the regular army. The position says that in their present form, the suggestions about voluntary military service displace the focus from important unsolved issues in the defence sector.

Defence Minister Krassimir Karakachanov suggested last Tuesday that introducing voluntary military service in Bulgaria might resolve the problem with the shortage of military personnel.A total of 5,500 positions in the Bulgarian Armed Forces are vacant and 30 million leva of the total 105 million extended have been set aside for that.

Karakachanov added he wants to see general conscription reinstated and believes the introduction of voluntary service as a first step in this direction. Voluntary military service will last between six and nine months, depending on the area of service. After that the volunteer servicemen will be in reserve, he said.

The ACB position was also sent to the President, the National Assembly Chairperson, cabinet ministers, to the embassies in Bulgaria of all countries members of the EU and of NATO, and to the embassies of partner countries in the Black Sea Region and the Western Balkans.

The Atlantic Council of Bulgaria says that introducing military training for civilians creates a real danger whereby under the cover of the armed forces, politically- or economically-affiliated paramilitary groups may try to obtain official status as "voluntary formations".

The think tank urges for undertaking all necessary actions and preventive measures so that no groups aimed against freedom, democracy, the rule of law, national independence and public and personal security be trained under the cover of training for defence.