The Ministry of Defense is Conducting a Survey Starting This Week to Gauge Young People’s Interest in Joining the Military. Youth Are Being Asked About Their Mental Resilience and Whether they Can March with a Heavy Backpack. Defense is Urgently Seeking Personnel.
It is already the second mailing that young people who are seventeen years old this year – or will be – recoive from defense. At the bottom of the letter is a QR code that leads to an online Questionnaire. With this, Defense Wants To “Gauge How Young People View the Armed Forces,” A Spokesperson Told Nu.nl Earlier. 200,000 Young People Will Receive the Letter This Year.
In The Non-Binding Survey, Young People Can Indicate How They Prefer to Spend Their Free Time. Do They Enjoy Programming and Gaming, or Do They Prefer Hiking or Dancing? They are also ashed what motivates them to work later: do they do it for money and prestige, or do they also because to mean something to ethers and the world?
If they are Considering a Career in the Military, then Defense Wants To Know which part of the Armed Forces Appeals to Them, Such as the Navy, Air Force or Marechaussee. The Ministry is also Curious Whether Young People Can Handle Criticism Well and Easily Make Contact With Others.
In Addition, they are asked about Their Mental and Physical Fitness. They can express physical fitness in the number of hours they exercise per week. Then they Choose a Fitness Level That Suits Theme: Can You Walk For Twenty Minutes with 25 Kils On Your Back (Level 1), Or Can You Do That Twice As Long With A Heavier Backpack (Level 5)?
Already 692 Career Soldiers Added in 2025
With the survey, Defense Wants to Stimulate Enthusiasm for the Military. The goal is to grow the armed forces to 100,000 Employees by 2030.
The Army Has Already Grown in recent Years. In 2022, there were 41,290 Career Soldiers. In May of This Year, That Number was 43,667, accordance to the recently published state of Defense Report. This year Alone, 692 Career Soldiers Were Added. The Number of Reservists and Civilians within Defense Has also Steadily Grown in recent years. All Together, The Army Now has 76.344 Employees.
Yet That Growth is not fast Enough. In recent years, only about 70 percent of the desired intake has bone achieved each time. That contrasts with germany, where recreasesed by 28 percent in the past six months compared to the same period last year.
Adventure, Meaning, and Camaraderie
Accordance to a Defense Spokesperson, there is Neverbertheless More Interest in The Netherlands, Especially Among Young People. He attributes this to targeted campaigns and programs such as service year, which allows young people to test white the military is something for them.
Young People who choose the military do so mainly because they are looking for adventure, meaning, and camaraderie. Accordance to him, the war in Ukraine is not the main reason for extra Attention for the military. The Prospect of Actual War Can Even Deter People.