Kazakh army to go professional by 2016

The Ministry of Defence of Kazakhstan in the next two years is planning to complete the transition to a professional army, the press service of the Ministry of Defense says.

At present, the Kazakh army comes at a blended basis. In the Armed Forces serve both conscripts and contract servicemen. Meanwhile, 65 % of privates and sergeants are under contract. Reducing the number of conscripts is held at the expense of low-numbered compulsory service recruitment. It is important to note that if the recruit has a college degree, then after 6 months he has the right to go to the service contract, and the rest - in 1 year.

"In general, through the Ministry of Defense, we've got somewhere around 12,000 conscripts. We are dismissing 6000 this fall  and are recruiting 1.5 thousand in the spring of 2014.

Military personnel on contract in the Armed Forces of Kazakhstan have a decent salary, benefits package and are fully provided with housing. The officers, sergeants and privates, who are less than 10 years in the service, receive a monetary compensation for the rent, and in remote garrisons there are houses built for the military. In 2014 there will be 500 homesmore. By 2017 the Ministry of Defense plans to provide housing for all military personnel.

In addition, the Department of Defense provides military personnel with the opportunity to get a decent education. Officers and sergeants through 8 years of service are entitled to receive education at the expense of the Ministry of Defence and in foreign universities.

At the request of the Supreme Commander - President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan -  the Armed Forces should be few, trained, professional and equipped with the most modern military equipment.

As previously reported, in 2013, under the first recruitment campaign, more than 7,000 people have expressed their desire to serve on a contract basis. Another recruitment of Department of Defense by contract will be carried out early 2014.

KAZINFORM