Reducing the term of military service.

Attached is my translation of Hrant Mikayelyan’s comment today on his Facebook page, about reducing the compulsory military service in Armenia from 24 month to 18 months. Vaհe H Apelian

I don’t understand the complaints about the law on reducing the term of military service.

To better understand the present state, we need to go back to the 90s, when it was decided that military service should be two years, and not, for example, three years or for a year.

The RA army was formed on the basis of the Soviet army. Those who served in those years will remember that everything from holding a weapon to wearing of the uniform was taken from the Soviet system. According to this logic, the service was set to be two years. Of course, over time, changes were made such as, deferrals, 1.5 years of service for graduates of higher educational institutions, etc.

Now let’s move on to the present.

Does reducing the term of service to 18 months imply that the number of people serving will be reduced? Whoever came up with such a notion does not know that that the law has absolutely nothing to do with  the law does not refer to the number of conscripts, but to the duration of their service. In other words, both before and after the implementation of the law, every person who has reached the age of 18 is required to be drafted. (Note: The 18-month mandatory military service in Armenia is expected to start beginning of January 2026.)

Let's assume that in 2026, 100 persons are registered. All of those qualified to serve will have to be drafted, regardless of whether they will serve for 24 or 18 months. In other words, looking for a quantitative difference here is illogical. The question is: what did the soldier do during 24 months and what will he do if the service becomes 18 months?

First, it is necessary to understand that the army is developing with a different logic today. The entire training process has undergone changes. If previously the soldier was engaged in line training for about 20 months out of 24 months; with the new program this is no longer the case.

The army is being replenished with new generation military equipment, the possession of which is largely entrusted to contract servicemen. The latter undergo special training, including in foreign military training centers. Thanks to the programs adopted by the state, which provide high salaries, a clear service schedule and social packages, the number of contract soldiers is growing day by day. This is a step towards a professional army.

In the new system, a conscript will no longer march for months at a time, but will participate in military exercises day and night, master the weapons assigned to him, and acquire real combat skills.

Yes, there still are problems. Yes, there still are officers who are "herdsmen". Yes, many issues are still in the process of being resolved.

But one thing is clear: the army is transforming day by day, and this is already an undeniable fact.