Poland has launched an initiative to boost its military recruitment campaign in the face of increasing threats in the region.
Dubbed “Holidays With the Army,” the program involves providing basic military training to Polish citizens aged 18 to 35 over 28 days.
Many of the participants are recent high school graduates who are eligible to enlist.
Despite the program’s name, participants are far from being given a holiday as they have to wake up early and learn combat and survival skills.
During free time, trainees are required to clean their quarters and are prohibited from leaving the base.
Those who complete the basic military training will reportedly receive 6,000 zlotys ($1,491).
‘Great Interest’
Polish Army officials said there has been great interest in the program as more than 11,000 people have chosen to participate.
The target, however, is up to 10,000 volunteers spread throughout 70 locations across Poland.
“The army wants to train as many citizens as possible,” logistics regiment commander Col. Pawel Galazka said. “Everyone knows about the threat that comes from the east.”
At the end of the training, participants may choose to pursue a military career by joining a branch of the Polish Armed Forces or the Territorial Defence Forces.
They can also opt to be on standby as reservists.
Increasing Threats
The “Holidays With the Army” initiative is part of Warsaw’s efforts to expand its 198,000-strong army amid the threat brought by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The government has increased its defense spending significantly over fears of being targeted next by Moscow if it succeeds in Kyiv.
A leaked German military document claimed that President Vladimir Putin may order an attack on a NATO member state by 2026 over the alliance’s support for Ukraine.
In November 2022, Poland put its military on high alert after a missile attack blamed on Russia killed two people in the village of Przewodow.
It later turned out that the missile was a Ukraine misfire.
