Eleven Thousand Young People in Poland to Participate in Military Training Programme
The first of three summer military training camps for young people aged 18 to 35, who are eager to acquire basic military skills, has commenced in Poland. Over 11,000 individuals have registered for the programme, titled "Holidays with the Army," with 20% of the participants being women, according to Dzennik Gazeta Prawna.
The initial phase of the programme began last week, involving approximately 3,500 young men and women training at thirty different locations across the country.
"Given that this programme is exclusively targeted at youth aged 18 to 35, the interest is very high," stated Major Renata Mycio from the Central Military Recruitment Point.
She also highlighted the significant interest from women in the programme, which is a new phenomenon in Poland. "Previously, women were a rarity in the Polish army, but now they are starting to take on roles that were traditionally associated with men. This is happening not only in the army, but also in the Border Guard and the police," Renata Mycio noted. She added that the first influx of women into the Polish military occurred after the establishment of the Territorial Defence Forces.
The large number of young people registered in the programme also indicates a general increase in interest in military service in Poland. In March, the Minister of National Defence, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, stated that the Polish military is "experiencing a renaissance."
"The number of people wanting to join the army is now the highest in recent years," said the head of the Polish Ministry of Defence in an interview with local media.
It is worth noting that after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia, Poland introduced free military courses for all interested individuals aged 18 to 65. These one-day courses cover the basics of handling weapons, shooting, hand-to-hand combat, land navigation, survival, and first aid.
This year, the Polish Ministry of Defence also urged high school graduates to undergo a basic one-month military training course with paid remuneration. The head of the Ministry of Defence announced that participants in this training would be prepared for service in the active reserve, and during their time in the barracks, they would receive a reward higher than the national minimum wage.
According to Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, this is a better alternative for high school graduates than working in cafés or restaurants, as they will acquire valuable military skills.