New National Guard recruits fall back to pre-full-scale-invasion level
Recruitment into Latvia's National Guard, the volunteer part of the armed forces, has returned to the level before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The commander and a military expert say retaining members matters more than attracting new ones.
Around as many people are now joining Latvia's National Guard (Zemessardze), the volunteer component of the National Armed Forces, as before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. As the war enters its fifth year, interest has faded, which complicates reaching the set target: about 10,000 people currently serve in the Guard, while the goal is 12,000.
From a surge to a steady level
The Guard saw an unprecedented influx in 2022, when residents became more interested in national defence. Now an average of about 800 people join each year, but about as many leave. Guard commander Brigadier General Aivars Krjukovs says the dynamics differ from year to year and that such processes are normal. He names the demographic gap as one reason for the difficulty in reaching the target, along with the State Defence Service, in which young people aged 18 to 25 serve voluntarily. If these young people do not stay on in professional service afterwards, they can join the Guard's ranks.
Military expert Mārtiņš Vērdiņš says recruitment has stagnated, reflecting public mood: support for the armed forces has grown over the years, but society has grown used to the "new normal". Some people also find the Guard physically too demanding, while in the expert's view military training is at a good level and standards cannot be lowered.
Retaining is harder than attracting
Both the commander and the expert stress that it matters more to make recruits stay for several years than to attract new ones. Krjukovs acknowledges that keeping Guard members is harder than recruiting them, and that this is not always due to disappointment with service: life circumstances change, families form and work duties grow. The commander tries to match duties to members' knowledge and skills, and says the door remains open for former members to return.
The Guard is also seeking new members itself: a campaign called "Bring Your Own" was launched in the national holiday month, urging Guard members to tell colleagues, friends and relatives about the service. Vērdiņš notes that a good battalion with meaningful training in a given region will also attract new members.
