French president unveils new military program for volunteers aged 18 and 19

VARCES France AP President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday unveiled a new campaign meant to bolster France s armed forces by training thousands of participants aged and starting next year part of a broader response to concerns over Russia s threat to European nations beyond the war in Ukraine Related Articles This day in History November Harvey Milk and George Moscone fatally shot MMA fighter arrested on plane after allegedly attacking police officers Hong Kong high-rises burning killed missing hundreds evacuated Princess Diana might have lived if not manipulated into isolation book Italian Mrs Doubtfire Man masquerades for years as dead mom to collect her pension The young helpers will serve in uniform for months in France s mainland and oversea territories only not in military operations abroad Macron announced in a speech at the Varces military base which is located in the French Alps A new national operation is set to be gradually established starting from this summer Macron commented In this uncertain world where power prevails over law and war is an ever-present reality our nation has no right to fear panic unpreparedness or division The plan will start with youth to be selected next summer and will gradually increase to per year by France has ambitions to reach up to supporters per year by a figure that will be adjusted depending on the global context Macron added A path for reservists Supporters will hold military status and receive wages and equipment After a month of training they will be assigned for nine months to a unit in which they will perform the same missions as current military personnel he detailed They will then join the military reserve and continue their guidance or start working Those who wish will be able to start a professional career in the progressing military Macron commented Regular soldiers in France generally enlist for a - to -year renewable periods of time Conscription which France ended in is not being considered Only under exceptional circumstances may parliament authorize enlisting those whose skills were identified during a one-day defense module which all youths go through and make national utility mandatory for those people Macron noted Retired Gen Jean-Paul Palom ros a former head of the French Air Force reported training the young contributors could take a toll on the French military s already stretched materials But he disclosed the new effort would help France better prepare for future threats It s good it s a hard path especially because it requires financing and other guidance he commented in a phone interview with The Associated Press But nevertheless I think it was needed somewhere to make sure that the young generations understand that freedom and peace are not taken for granted and it doesn t come as a free lunch Macron previously announced France is seeking to boost its defenses as Russia s war in Ukraine puts the European continent at great peril A growing sense of threat France s new army chief of staff Gen Fabien Mandon last week sent a warning about the nation s need to get prepared to lose its children in the event of a anticipated conflict with Russia words that prompted an outcry across the political spectrum Russia annexed of Georgia s territory in Ukraine s Crimean Peninsula in and launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in Gen Mandon reported Unfortunately Russia the present day based on the information I have access to is preparing for a confrontation with our countries by It is organizing itself for this it is preparing for this and it is convinced that its existential enemy is NATO he mentioned France to increase defense spending Macron has publicized billion euros billion in extra military spending in the next two years He declared France will aim to spend billion euros in annual defense spending in the last year of his second term That would be double the billion euros in annual spending when he became president in The planned defense budget for the - period includes an additional expenditure of over billion euros for the national operation Macron declared France s military at this time comprises around functioning personnel and over reservists making it the second largest in the European Union just behind Poland France wants to increase the number of reservists to by European nations bolster military capabilities France is not the only European nation bolstering its military capabilities Germany is redoubling its efforts to attract more recruits notably via a new voluntary military provision The plan remains to be approved by parliament Belgium s defense minister sent a letter this month to -year-olds to encourage them to sign up for military provision next year with the aim to select candidates between and to launch the project in September Poland has lately started rolling out a new voluntary military training venture and aims to train contributors per year from as it seeks to build an army of reservists with worries about Russia growing It isn t considering a return to universal military facility but rather a reserve system Ten EU countries have compulsory military provision Austria Cyprus Croatia Denmark Estonia Finland Greece Latvia Lithuania and Sweden Norway which is not a member has mandatory military institution for both men and women The length of arrangement ranges from as little as two months in Croatia to up to months in Norway AP journalist John Leicester in Paris contributed to the story