The Ministry of National Defense is organizing from May 22 to June 30 a new recruitment and selection campaign for citizens who wish to serve in the reserve as a voluntary reservist in the Romanian army.

“Thus, 2,187 positions of volunteer reservists (officers, military officers, non-commissioned officers, non-commissioned officers and soldiers) are available in the military units of Bucharest and 38 counties – Ilfov, Alba, Arad, Arges, Bacau, Bigor-Bistrica-Neseud, Botosani, Braila, Brasov, Buzeu, Karash-Severin, Kalarasi, Cluj, Constanta, Kovasna, Dambovitsa, Dolj, Galati, Gorz, Harghita, Hunedoara, Ialomica, Iasi, Maramures, Mures, Neamts, Olt, Prahova, Satu-Mare, Salaj, Sibiu, Suceava, Timis, Tulcea, Vaslui, Vilca and Vranca,” the defense ministry said in a press release on Tuesday, as quoted by News.ro.

According to the cited document, the recruitment and selection process takes place on the basis of the provisions of Law no. 270/2015 regarding the Statute of Voluntary Reservists, reissued, and Order of the Minister of National Defense No. M. 25/2017 on the approval of Methodological norms for the application of Law No. 270/2015 with further amendments and additions.

“When appearing at the military center, interested citizens will be informed about the benefits of military service in the voluntary reserve, the stages of recruitment and selection, the structures intended for selection, the military sanitary unit where they will serve. undergo a medical examination, as well as the military unit or training center where they are going to undergo the initial training program, if they are the object of this training in accordance with the legislation,” the ministry specified.

The institution clarifies that citizens without military training will be consulted on the expression of options, in the sense of targeting positions for which they meet specific criteria related to the level of education and the correspondence of specializations acquired in civilian life with weapons/service and military specialties

“Additional information can be obtained from the headquarters of zonal, district or branch military centers,” the ministry added.

Their mailing addresses and contact details are available on the website at:

· http://recrutare.mapn.ro/index.php?pagina=Contact

· https://www.mapn.ro/contact/centre_militare/index.php

Documents required for those who want to become a volunteer in the reserve

According to the institution, when visiting the military center, citizens who wish to do military service in the voluntary reserve, fill out an application for registration and present the following documents:

– an identity document, in the original and a copy;

– a criminal record certificate issued no later than six months before the date of submission;

– academic certificates and/or other documents confirming other skills acquired in civilian life, in original and copies;

– a valid driver’s license in the original and a copy, if any, for candidates without military training, if the performance of duties in the position for which they apply requires driving special equipment;

– a military book in the original and in a copy, if available, only for persons who have the status of a reserve serviceman.

What benefits do volunteer reservists have?

The Ministry clarifies that with the adoption of Law No. 115/2021 on Amendments to Law No. 270/2015 on the Statute of Voluntary Reservists, published in the Official Gazette of Romania No. 468, Part I, dated 05.05.2021, according to the publication of Law No. 270/2015 on the Statute of Voluntary Reservists in the Official Gazette of Romania No. 603 part. And from 17.06.2021, a set of measures aimed at increasing the attractiveness of military service in the voluntary reserve entered into force, the most significant of which are:

– increasing the amount of remuneration for the period when reservists from the voluntary reserve do not participate in training and business trips, from 10% to 30% of the official salary, to which the salary by position is added;

– increasing the size of the position allowance by adding to the position salary, gradations and command salary, except for the salary by rank;

– cancellation of the obligation to return the costs of recruitment and selection, in case of non-signing/non-completion of the contract;

– abolition of restrictions on the departure of volunteers abroad;

– creation of the possibility of reassignment to positions without passing selection exams of reservists from among active military personnel and professional servicemen/ranks in the first year after release to the reserve.