The Selection and Reserve Personnel Centre has sent out the summons for the conscription of reserve soldiers for military refresher training planned to take place in Autumn.
300 reserve soldiers will receive the summons at which point they will have to inform their employers about the planned recruitment for active service.
During training, the Article 66 of the Military Service Law will be applied for the first time. Article 66 determines the order in which reserve soldiers are enlisted in regular military training and that attendance will not be the free choice of reserve soldiers anymore, but in essence a form of elective conscription.
However during the training, the soldiers will be regarded as on active duty and will have the status of a soldier with training time credited to their total length of service. Compensation for military training time is paid.
At the beginning of the year Lieutenant General Raimonds Graube, the Chief of Defense issued an order, which provides that the Armed Forces "will begin to work with the part of the reserve soldiers in order to involve them in the national defense".
In May 2012 the Selection and Reserve Personnel Centre sent letters to 500 reserve soldiers in various regions warning them they might expect a call-up.
Though 300 additional personnel may not be much, it represents a significant addition to the 4,600 personnel currently serving in Latvia's armed forces.
The Defense Ministry told LSM the move was not because of any problems with current recruitment levels and those called up would be back in uniform for a matter of weeks rather than months.
