![Recruits at the medical examination in Astana. Photo by Gulnara Zhandagulova©](/userdata/news_en/2012/news_13161/thumb_b/photo_20812.jpg)
Kazakhstan’s Armed Forces are selecting only the most physically and mentally fit young men, preferably with higher education and professional skills, in an attempt to boost the Army's image. Young men shorter than 165cm will not be recruited to Kazakhstan’s Armed Forces, KazTAG reports citing chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Commission Saken Zhassuzakov. “There is a sufficient number young men to be conscripted, so we are working to form a new image of Kazakhstan’s Armed Forces by bringing the height requirements from 155cm to 165cm for ground forces and from 165cm to 170cm for air cavalry. Besides, earlier men with insignificant medical lapses could also be recruited, but now there is only one requirement: they have to be absolutely healthy,” he told KazPravda on Friday, September 21. According to him, this fall the plan is to recruit around 14 thousand young men aged from 18 to 27 without a right for delay or exemption from recruitment. “Around 6 thousands of them will serve in military units of the Defense Ministry and the rest will serve in the National Guard, interior troops of the Interior Ministry, Frontier Forces of the National Security Commission and Emergency Situations Ministry,” Zhassuzakov noted. He also stated that the share of young men with higher and secondary education recruited into Kazakhstan’s military forces has increased in recent years. All recruitment commissions all over Kazakhstan started working on October 1. “All the conscripting departments have been supplied with medical equipment meeting current requirements and new methods of detection of social diseases. We have also planned additional measures on improvement of the medical examination. Recruits have to pass drug tests and a wider range of compulsory laboratory examinations for hepatitis and TBC,” Zhassuzakov said. According to him, an average of 3 to 7 percent of the total number of applicants is recruited to compulsory military service. “This is related to the fact that currently the conscripts fill in only 30-35 percent of the total number of soldier and sergeant positions. We can select the conscripts. The best of them, both physically and psychologically, with education and professions are called into the Kazakhstan army these days,” Zhassuzakov said.
Kazakhstan’s Armed Forces are selecting only the most physically and mentally fit young men, preferably with higher education and professional skills, in an attempt to boost the Army's image.
Young men shorter than 165cm will not be recruited to Kazakhstan’s Armed Forces, KazTAG reports citing chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Commission Saken Zhassuzakov.
“There is a sufficient number young men to be conscripted, so we are working to form a new image of Kazakhstan’s Armed Forces by bringing the height requirements from 155cm to 165cm for ground forces and from 165cm to 170cm for air cavalry. Besides, earlier men with insignificant medical lapses could also be recruited, but now there is only one requirement: they have to be absolutely healthy,” he told KazPravda on Friday, September 21.
According to him, this fall the plan is to recruit around 14 thousand young men aged from 18 to 27 without a right for delay or exemption from recruitment.
“Around 6 thousands of them will serve in military units of the Defense Ministry and the rest will serve in the National Guard, interior troops of the Interior Ministry, Frontier Forces of the National Security Commission and Emergency Situations Ministry,” Zhassuzakov noted.
He also stated that the share of young men with higher and secondary education recruited into Kazakhstan’s military forces has increased in recent years.
All recruitment commissions all over Kazakhstan started working on October 1.
“All the conscripting departments have been supplied with medical equipment meeting current requirements and new methods of detection of social diseases. We have also planned additional measures on improvement of the medical examination. Recruits have to pass drug tests and a wider range of compulsory laboratory examinations for hepatitis and TBC,” Zhassuzakov said.
According to him, an average of 3 to 7 percent of the total number of applicants is recruited to compulsory military service.
“This is related to the fact that currently the conscripts fill in only 30-35 percent of the total number of soldier and sergeant positions. We can select the conscripts. The best of them, both physically and psychologically, with education and professions are called into the Kazakhstan army these days,” Zhassuzakov said.