Almost any Czech age 18-60 can apply to join the army, either as a career soldier, active reservist, inactive reservist or voluntary pre- draftee, but Army Chief of Staff Karel Řehka said yesterday that thecurrent recruitment system is unsustainable and that some other form of “mandatory or voluntary service” will need to be considered. This greater emphasis on active military service is part of the strategy of a “whole of government” and “whole of society” approach to defense. The army doesn’t have enough soldiers for this new strategy, but the government froze army salaries for this year, despite a hugejump in the defense budget. There is money to pay in advance for F-35s, but not for making the army more attractive today as an employer. Is the Fiala government “merely” incompetent, or did it intentionally want to create a staffing crisis in the army as an excuse for imposing a military draft? Petr Kolář, an adviser to Pres. Petr Pavel and to defense contractor Colt CZ, wants to go even further. He said in Jan. that the CR needs to convert to a war economy. That would be the ultimate “whole of government” and “whole of society” approach.

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