Frag Out! Magazine
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one longer one. Additionally, the law specifies that these longer exercises can be short-term: longer than 24 hours but not exceeding 30 days; long- -term: continuous for up to 90 days; or rotational: up to 30 days in total but with breaks on specific days. Finally, we have two already known forms of basic military service, currently voluntary service, consisting of one month of basic training and up to 11 months of specialized training, and the suspen- ded mandatory service, which, under current law, lasts nine months. This structure is complemented by additional solutions like the Academic League. These formalities are rather extensive. These nu- merous forms of service exist, at least in legisla- tion, and most are implemented in practice. The question arises: how can they be utilized? There is no doubt that the professional component of the armed forces should continue to be prioriti- zed. This is because, by definition, it is the compo- nent of the army that can be deployed most quic- kly, and its manner of service allows for long-term specialized training. This is also how command and instructor personnel can be trained. Of course, there are objections to the professio- nal army. Maintaining professional soldiers is co- stly, due to the need to attract people to serve and retain them. This includes salaries as well as other material and non-material factors that make up the conditions of service. Moreover, in times of conflict, the demand for soldiers will increase, and a purely professional army may prove too small, due to the losses it will suffer. This is why even the highly funded U.S. military maintains reserve components: the federal reserve for all branches of the armed forces, as well as the National Gu- ard and Air National Guard, which are under state control during peacetime. The American exam- ple is significant for two reasons. First, reserve components have housed formations that are less needed during peacetime. For example, during the Cold War, the Air National Guard had many inter- ceptor fighter squadrons to defend the American continent from Soviet air attacks in case of war. There were also fighter and strike/attack units that would be deployed to Europe if needed. It has been a common practice to direct older but still usable equipment to reserve units. The second role of the reserves is to utilize the potential of individuals who have left active service; hence, in the Missouri Na- tional Guard, there is a reserve unit composed of personnel trained in piloting and servicing B-2 bom- bers. It does not have its own aircraft, its role is to support the active 509th Bomb Wing. Currently, territorial military service is effecti- vely a form of reserves, distinct from others and limited to one armed forces branch. On the other www.fragoutmag.com