Estonia - Reserves

The Defence Forces are structured on the basis of a reserve army principle, which means that the main strength of the state’s Defence Forces is made up of units in reserve that have received military training. A reserve army is the most suitable and economical form of national defence for a state with limited resources.

Under the Estonian Long Term Defence Development Plan 2009?2018, approved by the Government of the Republic of Estonia on 22 January 2009, during the next decade the number of the EDF personnel available for crisis management, including reservists, will increase during the planning period from today’s 16,000 to 25,000, with additional the units of the Defence League. In 2018, the EDF will consist of centrally subordinated units, a mechanised infantry brigade in the Army with all its support units, reserve units formed in Defence Districts and the units of the Defence League. The war time structures of the Navy and Air Force will remain similar to their peace time structure.

The advantage of a reserve army is its tight connection to the citizens of the state, since the majority of male citizens are reservists and ready to protect their homeland when needed. Through general compulsory military service reservists are provided with the basic training of a member of the Defence Forces. Already during the course of compulsory military service the training of subordinate units (division, platoon, company) is begun. The Reserve Army is easily mobilised, since the reserve is not comprised of a mass of individual soldiers, but instead of subordinate units that have already trained together, which can be quickly consolidated, when needed, into larger units.

Reservists are persons liable to service in the Defence Forces who, on the basis of their state of health and age, have been declared fit to serve in the Defence Forces and have been assigned to the reserve of the Defence Forces. Persons liable to service shall remain in the reserve until the age of 60. For the most part, persons liable to service are designated as reservists after completing compulsory military service and serve as members of the reserve in the capacity of the specialty which they acquired during compulsory military service. According to military rank, reservists are divided into soldiers, non-commissioned officers and officers.

Reservists are divided between Defence Forces and National Defence League military units, supplementary reserve units, and undesignated reserves. Persons who have been released from call-up for compulsory military service under § 59 (1) 2) and 3) of the Defence Forces Service Act shall be assigned to the reserve by the Defence Resources Agency as untrained soldiers.

The goal of training exercises is to remind reservists of what they learned during compulsory military service and to introduce them to new equipment and armaments. During the training exercises, the wartime units of the Defence Forces will train interoperability and practice the activities of single combatant and also the activities at the sub-unit level; these training exercises will also serve to refresh the military skills of those who completed compulsory military service some time ago.

The Defence District shall notify reservists of the call-up for training exercises at least 120 days in advance. This shall not expand to reservists who participate in training exercises voluntarily and in a situation in which the Government of the Republic has, pursuant to military national defence needs, made the decision to call reservists to training exercises. Training exercises shall be carried out in units or Defence Forces educational institutions. The calling up to training exercises shall be delivered to reservists via mail, publication in a newspaper or broadcast.

The job or position of a reservist who is called up for training exercises shall be retained. During participation in training exercises, reservists shall receive the pay of the average salary level of a regular member of the Defence Forces and rank allowance, according to their positions.