Řehka Army Must Look for Ways to Have 30,000 Soldiers Within Seven Years

Prague – The military must devise strategies to ensure that the target of having 30,000 soldiers within seven years is achieved. Personnel matters have been underappreciated for a very long time despite being of utmost importance, according to Chief of the General Staff Karel ehka.

In order to make more advancements in the personnel area, he is currently planning a strategy. This was stated by ehka during an interview with TK.

The Czech Republic had 27,197 soldiers at the start of this year, with 22,866 of them serving in the army. This information was provided by the General Staff's press office. Defense spending of two percent of GDP is only a starting point, according to ehka, and many NATO members want to increase military spending even further.

People, he continued, "are the most important thing and they are the biggest problem, because you can buy tanks, but you just can't buy people.". The army is currently constructing a new virtual recruitment center that will make it easier to fill their positions.

Nevertheless, in Ehka's opinion, retention of soldiers is just as crucial as recruitment. He asserts that it is impossible to invest solely in weapons without also providing personnel facilities.

He emphasized the need for "modern barracks, modern training facilities, and modern dormitories.". He emphasized that a workplace environment at the same level as the 1970s of the previous century would not be conducive to young people working there for an extended period of time.

The necessity of preparing for future generations was also mentioned. It also has to do with how you interact with people and the organizational culture within the organization.

We need to take every possible step to make sure they want to be a part of the team, he said. Efforts to relax some of the "nonsensical measures" that dissuade people from joining the military, like having tattoos that are clearly visible, were also mentioned by him.

They are attempting to offer them discounts on hostels and they have also received a pay raise or an increase in fares because tattoos are no longer only worn by criminals today; instead, they are becoming more common among young people. The Ministry of Defense has set a recruitment goal of 2,200 people for this year, of which 500 should be University of Defense students.

Due to soldiers leaving the military and returning to civilian life, the actual increase in the number of soldiers is lower each year. 269 more soldiers were added to the force last year.

After accounting for departures, the army would need to add 1,000 soldiers annually in order to reach the target. Two percent defense spending is a stepping stone, according to ehka Two percent defense spending is regarded as the absolute minimum within NATO, according to ehka.

At last week's NATO Military Committee meeting, which ehka attended, NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoan also made a point of highlighting the need to review and raise the two percent commitment. Defense has long been undervalued and underfunded, according to Rehka, and making up for that will not be simple.

"To think that now that we will meet them and everything will be fine, it won't be, it will take some time," he said. "If we didn't fulfill two percent for the last few years.". He cited the enormous internal debt, which is present not only in the outdated machinery but also in the lack of supplies or the abandoned real estate.

Two percent is insufficient, he said, "if we were to fix everything that is in disarray.". In order to implement two percent spending, Petr Fiala's (ODS) administration wants to pass new legislation.

Additionally, it will make it simpler to finance significant modernization initiatives. If the proposal is approved by the President and the Parliament, the Ministry of Defense's budget should increase by about 40 billion crowns the following year.

ehka is certain that the money can be used to fund defense in a significant way. "Because, realistically, the needs are greater.

He noted, "We already have the projects prepared. Estimates from more than ten years ago place the internal debt of the army at around 100 billion crowns at the time. Since that time, however, it has significantly increased as a result of cuts to spending during the economic crisis.

ehka gave an account of how the Ministry of Defense and the Army were run last year as evidence of the army's ability to use funds that were allotted to it. About 1.9 billion of the 92.7 billion crowns were not used by the Resort, which is a significant improvement over the past.

The Chief of the General Staff also emphasized the difficulty of the acquisition procedure at the same time. He remarked, "It's like someone asking you, when you take out a mortgage on a house, what kind of tiles you'll have in the bathroom in three years, and exactly how much will they cost.".

A change in the organizational structure of the unit, increased recruitment requirements, the completion of barracks, or the reconstruction of workshops, for instance, may result from the purchase of a transporter that will enable more people to be transferred. The Ministry of Defense oversees 111.8% of the nation's total crown budget this year.

A portion of the funds is used to cover the costs of the military intelligence, military police, and the civilian portion of the department. The so-called mandatory expenses required by law will account for roughly half of the money the army will be given; the remaining money will be split between new purchases and operational costs.

Army recruitment costs are included in the budget, with the remaining funds going toward operating costs and new purchases. Army recruitment costs are included in the budget, with the remaining funds going toward operating costs and new purchases.

Recruiting costs for the army ehka.

A change in the organizational structure of the unit, increased recruitment requirements, the completion of barracks, or the reconstruction of workshops, for instance, may result from the purchase of a transporter that will enable more people to be transferred.