Certification of servicemen needs reviewing in some cases

ArmInfo.  Armenia plans to review mandatory military service certification procedures. At its February 6 session, the National Assembly's Defense and Security  Committee approved the government-submitted amendments to the Law "On  Military Service and the Status of Servicemen."

According to RA Defense Minister Suren Papikyan, who presented the  amendments in the first reading, an analysis of the certification  system showed that the requirement for mandatory certification upon a  serviceman's first appointment to military service has become  obsolete. This is especially true for participants in the "Defender  of the Fatherland" program, who, after completing training, have  received corresponding positions in various army structures. They  will no longer be required to take certification exams. Furthermore,  officers who have completed training at various military educational  institutions will also be considered to have passed the certification  based on the assessments they receive. In both cases, salary  supplements will be accrued from the date of appointment to positions  in the country's armed forces.

The minister noted that approximately 4,000 participants in the  "Defender of the Fatherland" program have currently transferred to  contract service in the army. Moreover, this number is growing. After  completing five years of contract service, service members will be  eligible for an additional one-time bonus when signing new contracts:  1.5 million drams for two years and 5 million drams for five years.

Papikyan emphasized that the proposed legislative initiatives are  aimed at creating additional motivational factors for 24-25-year-old  servicemen to continue their service in the Armenian Armed Forces,  which will facilitate the rapid creation of a professional army. Upon  reaching the age of 30, this category of servicemen will be eligible  to continue their military service.

Papikyan emphasized that the document's timing is no coincidence. He  noted that previously, conscripts were required to complete training  according to the curriculum, while contract servicemen had different  requirements. Currently, the principle of equality has already been  implemented in the country's Armed Forces: conscripts undergo  training in military units according to the same criteria as officers  and contract servicemen. Servicemen who complete the training and  receive positive results are considered to have passed the  assessment. The training process will last four months. The same  principle will apply to military academy graduates, who will be  considered certified based on their exam grades. Salary and bonus  amounts will depend on the service member's location and  qualifications and could reach 820,000 drams.