Some Thoughts on Conscription versus Professional Forces

Summary of Karlis Neretnieks’ article in KKrVAHT no 2 2004

The question of choosing which system to man your armed forces, conscription or professional soldiers, is not just a question of what is most militarily efficient at the present moment and for some years to come. It is also very much dependent on how you look at the freedom of the individual contra the needs of the collective, the armed forces role in society, what precautions you think are necessary to handle an unsure future, demography, the labour market and other factors.

To solve the tasks that have to be performed in a near future, international operations and taking on “asymmetric” threats at home, an organisation based on professional soldiers is probably the best solution. The main problem probably being to recruit the right people in sufficient numbers.

On the other hand, conscription is probably a prerequisite if it comes to defending a country’s territory, also if you can count on the help of allies. It may also have some advantages when it comes to making armed forces an organisation that large parts of the population care for.

My recommendation for most countries in the Baltic Sea area (not just the three Baltic states) would be to rely on professional soldiers when it comes to international operations and other tasks where availability is vital. But at the same time keep some sort of conscription as a base for recruitment of the professionals and as means to strengthen the link between the armed forces and the citizens of the country.