Longer Military Service: Protection of Officers' Flanks

Chief of Staff Brieger Photo: APA / ROBERT JAEGER [19659005] Enthusiastic officers, refusal of ranks recruits and opposition. This is how reactions to Mario Kunasek's Vorsto can be roughly badigned. The defense minister (FP) has announced this weekend that he will try to negotiate in the coalition an extension of military service from six to eight months. Where the last eight weeks in the form of troop exercises would be later completed. In return, the salary of the recruits of 320 euros currently has more than doubled.

Schtzenhilfe yesterday, there was little surprise of the new Chief of Staff Robert Brieger. "From the point of view of military needs and the state of operational readiness of the troops", Milizbungen would be a "very valuable contribution," Mr Brieger told ORF radio. Nachsatz: An extension of the basic costs of military service of course more. In the sense of responsibility for the security of Austria, such expansion must be worth it.

The plans of the PS are interpreted in a very different way. Instead of fighting for "good equipment of the army and attractive military service, Minister Kunasek now wants to bring budgetary problems on the back of the conscript," criticized spokesman Rudolf Plessl

. Voice in support of Kunasek found. VP spokesman Dominik Schrott rejects an extension, because of basic military service in the perception of recruits, "there is no sufficient personal benefit for their future life". Therefore, there is already "little incentive and motivation for a longer voluntary commitment in the militia". Prior to this, VP spokesman Michael Hammer said a 2005 military service withdrawal for "useless".

Kunasek has a spokesman for the president of the Austrian officers' society. Erich Cibulka criticized the suspension of compulsory troops exercises for years,

see comments »