Moldova - Military Personnel

The armed forces comprise 6,900 troops, including 5,200 conscripts. Every year approximately 38,000 young men reach conscription age; approximately 5,700 [15 percent of the cohort] are recruited. In 2011, 3720 young men were enlisted, including 2300 — in the National Army, 1300 — Carabineer Troops and 120 — Border Guard Service. In Moldova, conscription under which all young people who have reached the age of 18 are enrolled in the army, the only exception being students or special cases of illness. Currently, the military service is 12 months. By 2012, according to the national legislation, military conscription was held four times a year. The military service in the Armed Forces lasts 12 months. According to the Ministry of Defence, 1,625 conscripts were assigned to alternative service during the autumn draft of 2004 [and presubably a similar number in the Spring draft]. Conscription is enshrined in Article 57 of the 1994 Constitution and is further regulated by the 2002 Law on Preparation for Defence. The length of military service is one year, and three months for university graduates. All men between the ages of 18 and 27 are liable for military service. There are two drafting periods per year, during spring (May-June) and during autumn (November-December). Moldova's concept of substitute service is different from other European countries. COs may continue their regular jobs and pay 25 per cent of their salaries to the state. It is unclear for how long the obligation to pay 25 percent of one's salary to the state lasts. According to the Law on Alternative Service, the duration of alternative service is 24 months. Most sources in fact maintain that the length of substitute service is 24 months. However, the Moldavian government stated in 2002 that the length of alternative service is 12 months, which is the same length as military service. In 2001 the Ministry of Defence proposed a draft bill that provided for the abolition of conscription. The bill was discussed by the Moldavian Parliament, but it was rejected. A majority in Parliament considered it to be too expensive to replace all conscripts by professional soldiers. In June 2014 Liberals said they had prepared several legislative initiatives that would transform the National Army from a Soviet one into an army worthy of a state associated with the European Union. According to the Liberal Party of Moldova, liberals submitted to Parliament amendments to several laws aimed at modernizing the National Army. Liberal leader Mihai Ghimpu said that now the country's military is unprepared for the reason that the term for which young people are recruited is too small. "Today young people are drawn into the army for a year. A year is too little to gain experience. Proof are murder cases that are taking place in the military. Many young people do not resist, it's still the Soviet discipline," said Ghimpu. In order to modernize the National Army, LP proposed to enroll young men based on contract. That's because, Ghimpu says, Moldova is too poor to afford cheap things. "That's why we come up with a proposal to have an army of soldiers enrolled on contracts, to have a professional army, similar to that in most EU Member States. First, we get rid of all this Soviet technique," noted Liberal leader. By 2012 the number of recruits recorded by the Military Centers for being enrolled in the Armed Forces has considerably decreased both because of demographic and social-economic factors. According to the Chief of Personnel Directorate, 54,9% of the total number of recruits examined by the conscription campaign got the right to be discharged from the army. Nearly 97% of them were discharged to continue their studies and 3,2% because of family reasons. The superficial medical examination or the low diagnosis possibilities of young men before joining the army are problems. The 2012 data show that nearly 19% of young men were declared unable to do the military service because of their health condition, 6,7% could not be conscripted because of criminal background, 7% had different religious views and 7,3% pledged for a civil service. Citizens conscripted to the army represent the diversity of the Moldovan society. Thus, 86% of the total number of conscripts are Moldovan citizens, 6 % are Ukrainians, 4 % — Gagauz people, 2% — Russians, and 2% — represent other nationalities. Over 71% of conscripts come from villages and nearly 29% from cities. Military service contract may be assigned Moldovan citizens who meet medical requirements and professional psychological for military service in a specialty military concrete and level of physical training, have completed secondary general, secondary, special secondary or superior. The age limit for admission to military service under the contract is 40 years. Selection of candidates for hiring contract military service is performed by: Military center where they are taken out the military; and military units.

Stages of employment of citizens from the reserve Armed Forces, who have reached the age of 18:

• The candidate submits an application on behalf of the commander military center, where the military evidence, or on behalf of the military unit commander.
• If compliance requirements for admission to military service under contract to the candidate receives straightening military medical commission for medical examination of fitness to military service under the contract. Also in review compliance of the applicant moral-psychological selection requirements for specialty concrete military record;
• To prepare and submit a set of documents for issuance of access to state secret.

Compliance assessment of a candidate who was untrained reserve of the Armed Forces, which is expected to function is carried out within 55 days training camps held in the facility. Commander (chief) of the military unit (institution) be appealed to higher command to permit placing candidates into military service by contract. If approval submission for framing candidate's military service under contract by Defence Minister and after the Commission decision of military medical power of fitness to military service under the contract is issued order of the commander (chief) of the military unit (institution), which has the right to employment military service by contract that category troops.

After receiving information on the decision, the candidate is presented in military records center for performing direct enrollments military service contract. Commander of the military center of evidence of the candidate placed in military service by contract, by order of the day on the military center framing conclude with the release dispozitiunii and ensure the same day a military presentation concerned the appropriate drive. The soldier placed into military service by the contract are presented in the military unit (institution) where the issue order of the commander (chief) of the military unit (institution) on its inclusion in the lists unit (institution) military and ends contract fulfillment military service under the contract.

Steps for classifying conscripts, after six months of military service conscripts or reduced after completion of service without release from military service:

• The military that meets military service or reduced term and wants to integrate into military service by contract hierarchically submit a report on behalf of the commander (chief) of the military unit;
• The candidate receives referral to committee for medical and military medical examination of fitness to military service under the contract. Also in review correspondence candidate moral-psychological selection requirements for specialty concrete military record;
• Compatibility candidate and is expected to function shall be considered by the commission for attesting the military unit, which within three days, submit its recommendations to the commander (chief) of the military unit for making the decision;
• To prepare and submit a set of documents for issuance of access to state secret. "

Apart from medical and social reasons, exemption is possible for students who have served in military departments at education institutes. This possibility was introduced in 2002, when education institutes were allowed to set up military departments. Such departments did in fact exist when Moldova was still a part of the former Soviet Union, but they were abolished in 1992.

According to the law, citizens aged 18 to 27 have the right to choose civilian over military service if the latter is counter to their religious beliefs. The duration of the alternative civilian service is six months for citizens with higher education, and 12 months for citizens with secondary education or vocational studies. Those who choose civilian service may complete it at public institutions or enterprises specializing in such areas as social assistance, healthcare, industrial engineering, urban planning, roads and road construction, environmental protection, agricultural associations or agricultural processing, town management, and fire rescue. There are no blanket exemptions for religious groups for the civilian service alternative, but religious officials, monks, and theology students are exempted from alternative service. Refusal to enroll in civilian service is punishable by a fine ranging between 2,000 lei ($102) and 10,000 lei ($510) or 200 hours of community service. A repeated refusal is punishable by a fine ranging between 8,000 lei ($408) and 20,000 lei ($1,020) or detention of up to six months.