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Perhaps. But pointing out this "obvious fact" says nothing about the form such an army should take or the missions assigned to it. Above all, it offers no explanation for the introduction of voluntary military service in Belgium.

Conscription (or mandatory military service) has been suspended in Belgium since 1992, a few years after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War. This suspension marked the transition from a conscript-based force to a professional army that is smaller and more mobile.

As long as it remains "voluntary," military service in its current form aims primarily to bring the army back to the forefront of the Belgian public's attention—and that of young people in particular. It also aims, in very concrete terms, to supply and strengthen the new "territorial reserve," established by the "Arizona" government alongside the "voluntary military service" program.

Yes, it is “voluntary” on paper. But in reality, not everyone has the same choices. When young people struggling to find a job or pay for their studies are offered €2,000 a month, it ceases to be a truly free choice. By creating increasingly precarious and uncertain living conditions for young people through austerity measures, the proposal for this military service amounts to a disguised form of compulsion for the most vulnerable.

Moreover, Minister Théo Francken has already pointed out that military service could once again become mandatory in the short term. According to him, all that is lacking is the "political will."  

It is worth noting that the Belgian military aims to recruit at least 14,800 active-duty personnel, 6,600 reservists, and 4,800 civilians by 2029. By the end of 2034, the Defense establishment targets a force of 34,500 active-duty personnel, 12,800 reservists, and 8,500 civilians. However, the Belgian military suffers from a relatively high attrition rate—meaning personnel leaving the service prematurely. The latest figures were provided by former Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder: between January 2016 and December 2021, 49.9% of volunteers left the military within 40 months of applying. Nearly 10% of volunteers left during the very first month. After one year, the attrition rate stood at 30.5% for volunteers, 20.4% for non-commissioned officers, and 13.8% for officers. While recruitment is increasing, it is not offsetting losses due to retirement and dropouts during training.

However, in his "Defense Strategic Vision 2025," Théo Francken predicts a shift in warfare toward "mass warfare," which requires the deployment of large numbers of military personnel: "Cutting-edge technology loses its operational effectiveness without a sufficient volume of equipment, troops, weaponry, and ammunition. […] In an environment where losses can be significant from the very first stages of a conflict, having a large number of systems and munitions is essential. Mass, in this sense, is not a luxury but a fundamental requirement."

Yes, it is a lot of money, especially when you are just starting out in your working life. But ask yourself: what am I learning? What am I building? This service trains you to obey, to carry out orders blindly, to adhere to a military framework, and to prepare for war. Military training does not offer you the chance to develop critical thinking or to take action on real social, ecological, or humanitarian emergencies.

We would prefer the State to invest these resources in creating jobs, training opportunities, and housing—and in supporting the grassroots groups where young people are already actively working to strengthen society.

After a year, this salary will no longer be paid to you. It will likely be just as abrupt a change as when you received your first paycheck. If you did not qualify for unemployment benefits when you began your military service, you will not be eligible for them upon your discharge either. 

It is true—discipline, rigor, camaraderie, and a sense of effort are very useful qualities.  

But let’s be honest: this kind of rhetoric often comes from people who have others in mind—excluding themselves from the need to learn discipline. Can’t one sometimes detect traces of racism or classism in such statements? Take, for instance, the message Théo Francken posted following the police violence during the teacher and student protests in Brussels in June 2026: "What happened in Brussels is an absolute disgrace. It’s always the same lot—hard cases, rioters, vandals. We need to set up re-education camps for these young delinquents. The military is ready to help."

You don’t need a uniform to learn discipline and camaraderie! Youth organizations, volunteer work, community projects, and team sports… all teach discipline, cooperation, and respect. The difference is that with voluntary military service, you’re taught to follow military logic and to participate in preparing for war—not to think critically or propose civic solutions that could help prevent it.

Protecting the population is essential. No one disputes that.

What worries us is that military means might become the only way of approaching security. Today, massive investments are being made in the military, but far less in diplomacy, cooperation, social justice, or peace education. Yet security is not merely about being ready to fight; it is, above all, about doing everything possible to avoid having to do so.

European countries are rearming on a massive scale. In Belgium, military spending rose by 59% between 2025 and 2026. Military service is being reintroduced almost everywhere in an attempt to bolster army ranks, and political rhetoric predicting war is on the rise. Meanwhile, however, a sense of insecurity is growing and international conflict is intensifying. Nothing is being done to foster détente or de-escalation. Yet true defense and security lie in the ability to ultimately resolve conflicts through dialogue. It is a long process, but one that must be urgently restarted.

Especially since all countries in the world must face common problems: climate change, pandemics, international trade, etc. 

Let us also look at what the army actually does and how it carries out its missions of territorial "defense" as mandated by the Constitution. What do we see? That the Belgian army performs tasks often difficult to link to the concept of territorial defense. In Belgium, it is increasingly called upon to take over police functions, while globally, it is frequently deployed far from our borders—and those of the European Union and NATO.  

Maybe. But it’s also a year of your youth spent serving a military purpose.
Imagine if that time and money were used to contribute to society: supporting nonprofit organizations, schools, environmental projects, or community initiatives.
That would also be a powerful experience… and truly meaningful.

Today, the government values only one type of commitment: that of armed defense. We would like to see all commitments to peace or solidarity supported with the same energy.

And then, in practical terms, what will this life experience entail? The young people selected for the first cohort of the voluntary military service program began their service in September 2026. They are stationed at three barracks in Belgium, where they will receive military training. Starting in February or March, they will be operational and deployed as part of the Territorial Reserve, specifically in the 1st Fusiliers Battalion. Its role is to “secure the critical infrastructure we need in Belgium during times of crisis, such as ports, energy infrastructure, telecommunications lines… Basically, everything that keeps Belgium functioning both politically and economically.” So the young people who are about to begin their military service will, halfway through their service, be deployed throughout Belgium to secure sensitive sites.

Enrolling means spending a year in a full-time military setting, with training, strict rules, and a chain of command. The details of this year are outlined in question 5. You will be paid approximately €2,118 net per month. At the end, there are three options:

• Being a reservist. That is the Arizona government’s stated top priority.

There are three types of reserves in the Belgian Army: 1. The specialized reserve, which serves to reinforce the Army’s operations on an ad hoc or structural basis; 2. The combat (deployable) reserve, which is organized identically to and integrated with active-duty units but maintains a lower level of readiness. Following a period of (re)readiness training, these reserve units can be deployed on operations just like active-duty units; 3. The territorial reserve, “focused on territorial defense, support provided by the host country, assistance to the nation, securing nuclear sites and embassies through static security measures, securing sites that are permanently at OCAM Level 3, and the petrochemical sector.” According to the Arizona government, “the creation of a territorial reserve is a short-term priority.” Voluntary military service will be “developed within the framework of the reserve [and] is crucial to its development and strengthening, as it will provide it with trained and motivated personnel.” Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

• apply to become a career military member,
• or leave defence entirely.

Participating, therefore, means forging a genuine connection with the military, which can have an impact that extends beyond the year of service. It’s important to know this before enlisting.

No.
Voluntary military service is a full-time job.
Participating means putting your studies on hold, losing your student status for a year, and potentially not resuming your studies until after your service is over.

Since you earn more than €2,000 net per month, your parents no longer qualify to receive family allowances during your year of service.
In theory, they could be reinstated if you return to school after your enlistment.

That would be wonderful, yes.
But unity isn’t something that can be decreed under a sergeant’s orders.
It’s built when we understand one another, when we debate, when we act together toward a shared goal.
Cohesion comes from school, youth movements, civic engagement, culture… not war, which envisions a project of national unity based on exclusion and confrontation with the Other.
Here again, the problem is that we’re reinforcing a single form of unity—the military kind—while undermining the spaces that allow for dialogue and encounter.

It is also worth noting that paid “voluntary military service” is not intended in and of itself to foster a “sense of national unity.” In fact, it will involve “only” 500 young people in 2026 and 1,000 starting in 2027, and its primary purpose is to strengthen the Belgian Army’s territorial reserve.   

Of course, we must be able to defend ourselves.
But being prepared to defend ourselves does not mean organizing the whole of society around war.
The more we prepare for it, the more we make it acceptable and possible.
What we are asking for is a balance: yes, prepare for defense, but without forgetting to prepare for peace.
And today, this second task—dialogue, cooperation, education, international solidarity, and the fight against the living conditions that fuel cycles of violence—is the great neglected aspect of public policy.

That said, if it is to be truly effective and avoid confrontation, any defense policy must be based on two pillars: military deterrence and policies that foster mutual trust among states that view one another as enemies. If “defense” policy relies solely on deterrence (and thus on armaments—and ever-increasing levels of armaments), it increases conflict and the risk of armed confrontation. It inexorably leads society toward war.

There are plenty of other ways to “serve one’s country”: 

• join a youth organization, a civic group, or a volunteer program,
• take part in a community service project or in environmental or social initiatives,
• get involved in your town, your school, your neighborhood,
• Register as a conscientious objector to publicly declare that you oppose military service. This is a right recognized by the Constitution and under international law (for more information, you can contact the organization Agir pour la Paix).
• or simply speak up about the issues that matter to you.

Getting involved isn't about carrying a weapon—it's about helping to build a shared future.

Rejecting a model doesn’t mean running away.
On the contrary: it’s an act of courage and reflection.
Saying no to military service means saying yes to other forms of commitment—ones that are freer, more humane, and more beneficial to society.
Being a pacifist doesn’t mean being passive: it means believing and knowing that there are other ways to defend what we love and the people we love.

No. We know that certain threats exist and that an army may have a role to play in protecting the population. But we also know that the objectives of all policies aimed at peace and security are, in theory, part of a process that ultimately aims, precisely, to render armies unnecessary. We are therefore not against the military, but rather in favor of reducing its role as policies of détente, collaboration, and mutual trust take effect.

Peace cannot be based primarily on force.

What concerns us is that civilian, educational, social, and diplomatic alternatives are underfunded and overlooked, while all the political and media attention is focused on the military.
Building peace is a collective effort—it’s not just a matter for soldiers.

First, form your own opinion. Talking, debating, and asking questions are already forms of engagement.
Because, deep down, what’s missing most today is the voice of young people.
Decisions like voluntary military service are made without ever asking for the input of those they directly affect.
So, make your opinion heard. Share your thoughts with your friends and family, at school, and on social media.
And if you want to express your disagreement, you can also join the #ServiceForPeaceBe trend: a symbolic, creative, and collective gesture to show that there’s another vision of engagement.
It’s not an obligation or a slogan: it’s a way to reclaim our voice and remind everyone that young people have a say.

Voluntary military service may seem like a good idea for learning, earning a living, or “serving one’s country.”
But it fits into a context where armed defense is becoming the only proposed response to global insecurity. Yet peace is also built through education, social justice, solidarity, and cooperation—paths that are increasingly being neglected. Young people already have a thousand ways to get involved. And for many, these are more courageous and more beneficial to our shared future than training for war.