Armenian army faces shortage of conscripts

An exemption from military service and demographic situation in the country has caused a shortage of conscripts.

Birth rates plummeted during the early 1990s, said the authors. Only 39,000 males were born in 1991 -- men who would be eligible to serve in the army as of 2009. That number dropped to 25,697 by 1995, according to the State Statistical Service.

More than 10 years later, the birth rate has still not improved; roughly 24,000 males were born in 2008, said Karine Kuyumjian, head of the service’s Demography Department.

Those low numbers will be reflected in the number of Armenian conscripts starting military service for at least the next decade, Kuyumjian said.

Armenian army’s Maj.-Gen. Kamo Kuchunts, who oversees the draft, recruitment and the training of conscripts, termed the idea of involving the soldiers on contract. He noted that only "about 8,000 contracts" have been signed since Armenia began in 2005 to enlist army sergeants on contract.

There are reportedly 48, 000 servicemen in the Armenian army now and period of service is 2 years. There are two conscript periods a year – May and October.

About 17,000-20,000 draftees are called up in every conscript.

/APA/