Nearly 880 young people will begin conscript service at the invitation of the Defence Resources Agency

On October 14–15, nearly 880 young people, including six women, will begin conscript service at the invitation of the Defence Resources Agency.

The conscripts will be assigned to various units across Estonia: the division’s staff and signal battalion in Ämari, the division’s 2nd infantry brigade in Võru, the division’s artillery battalion in Tapa, and the division’s 1st infantry brigade in the Tapa and Jõhvi garrisons.

Among those starting service are seven groups of friends and 13 conscripts coming from abroad, living in Finland, the Netherlands, Latvia, Sweden, and Germany. “The willingness of conscripts living abroad to come home for service shows strong dedication to the country and connection to life here,” said Anu Rannaveski, Director General of the Defence Resources Agency.

In October, 48 percent of conscripts will start service voluntarily. “The number of young people voluntarily joining the service is steadily increasing. Last year, 46 percent responded voluntarily to the October summons, compared to 38 percent in 2021,” Rannaveski noted.

The October call-up training lasts eight months, during which recruits are trained as Defence Forces squad-level personnel. They acquire useful skills for coping in difficult conditions, learn basic knowledge about national defence, and how to function successfully as a cohesive team.

Conscript calls happen three times a year, making this the last call-up of 2024. The next call-up will be on January 13, 2025.