Hundreds of teenagers in Croatia are now doing military service. This is the time Croatia has had conscription since it stopped in 2008. These teenagers will go to barracks in different parts of the country. They have to go to the one that’s closest to their home. When they get there they will get their uniforms and equipment. They will also find out where they will be living. For the two months they will have to follow military rules and do a lot of training.
The Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces Tihomir Kundid says that this is a change for the teenagers. They are used to life but now they have to do what the military says. He knows it might be hard for them. He says everything will be okay. The teenagers will start with things and then learn more complex things. They will not have to give up their phones they can use them when they are not training.
800 people are doing this training. More than half of them wanted to do it they did not have to be told to come. Ten percent of the teenagers are girls. They do not have to do service but they are doing it anyway. Some people do not want to do service they want to do something else instead. They can do service but they will not get as much money as the people who are doing military service. Know More
The training is going to be very interesting. The teenagers will learn military skills and new ones. They will learn about drones. How to protect themselves from drones. They will also learn about cyberwarfare.
Croatia is doing this because of the war in Ukraine. Ukraine is close to Croatia so Croatia is worried about its safety. The Defence Minister of Croatia Ivan Anusic says that the situation in the region is not stable anymore. He says that Russias invasion of Ukraine has made everything more complicated.
This might affect countries in the region. Some people in Slovenia want to bring conscription. The President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic also wants to bring military service. This is making some other countries in the region worried. They think that if one country gets stronger the others will have to get stronger. This could make the situation more unstable.
James Ker-Lindsay, an expert, on the Balkans says that this is a concern. He thinks that if one country gets military power the others will want to do the same. This could create a lot of tension in the region.
Despite all this Croatia is going ahead with its plan. The government wants to train 4,000 people every year. Croatia is now one of the NATO countries that has military service. Other countries that have it include Greece, Turkey and some Scandinavian countries. Read More
