New issue of the Euro-Atlantic Bulletin: “The Impact of Security Threats on Armed Forces Recruitment and the Missed Opportunity for Broader Civic Service”

The model of armed forces recruitment has always depended on the level of military threat to national security. A historical overview shows that, during periods of heightened military threat, states introduced conscription-based systems in order to increase the numerical strength of their armed forces, whereas in peacetime they generally preferred professional armed forces. Today, mixed recruitment models predominate, combining the factors of quality and flexible force size.

An increasing number of European countries are reconsidering the most appropriate recruitment model in light of the growing military threat to Europe. This article examines the indicators of military threats to European security and two key variables, “time” and “distance”, that should be taken into account when determining an appropriate force-generation model. It also highlights the missed opportunity to introduce a broader form of civic obligation at the time when Slovenia suspended conscription-based recruitment for the Slovenian Armed Forces.