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Belgium's Defense Ministry announced Monday a record recruitment campaign for 2026, opening 4,800 positions across military and civilian roles while introducing a new voluntary military service year for young adults.
The ministry will offer 2,800 positions for military personnel, 1,050 for reservists and 960 for civilian staff next year. The army plans to recruit 1,338 military personnel, with the air force seeking 410, the navy 178, and the medical service 164 positions.
Officials aim to expand the defense workforce within a decade to 34,500 military personnel, 12,800 reservists and 8,500 civilians. The recruitment drive targets profiles beyond traditional military roles, including IT specialists, technicians, psychologists, educators, and prevention advisors.
"That means we need a lot of new people," Defense Minister Theo Francken said, according to the Belga news agency. "Ambitions are high, but realistic. There is a lot of interest: on average, we have four applicants per vacancy."
The ministry has invested in modern equipment including MQ-9B "Sky Guardian" drones, anti-aircraft guns and incoming F-35 fighter jets to support the expanded workforce.
Belgium will launch a voluntary military service year in 2026, initially selecting 500 candidates aged 18-25. Participants will earn a net salary of €2,000 ($2,348) per month while serving as reservists in the army, navy or air force.
The program expects to grow gradually to 7,000 participants. Francken emphasized the initiative does not represent a return to mandatory military service.
"Reintroducing mandatory military service for everyone isn't in the coalition agreement and isn't an option," Francken said. "The army can't handle it logistically either."
The defense minister said the program aims to revive civic duty while providing career experience for young people. "It's important for people to give something back to the country. That's only normal," he added.
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