On 12 January 2017, the Luxembourg army were present at the military base in Diekirch for the solemn pledge at the 26th recruits session.
At this session for new recruits, at which Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Etienne Schneider was also present, 47 volunteer soldiers swore an oath, following four months of basic training.
This phase aims to prepare volunteer soldiers in their military training, which lasts 36 months. Out of a total of 88 recruits hired on 5 September 2016, 47 successfully finished the basic training. Eight of those who succeeded are of Portuguese nationality, two are Belgian and one is Italian.
During his speech on this occasion, Etienne Schneider announced that “in the context of the new international security situation, the ‘Guidelines for Defence Policy 2025+’ will be approved in February”. These guidelines will define the army’s role in collective defence as well as the policy’s short- and mid-term goals.
Moreover, the ceremony hosted the award of honorary distinctions to members of the KFOR 48 contingent. Since June 1999, NATO has directed a support operation for peace in Kosovo, with the help of big international initiatives aiming to achieve peace and stability in the region. When this operation moved on to its second stage in March 2011, Luxembourg’s ISR (intelligence, surveillance and recognition) was directly subordinated to the KFOR headquarters.
Photo by EMA
