“Youths would be called up [for military service] immediately after school. Upon graduation, school students would know that they would be called up. They would be conscripted, serve for 9 months and then, following the Law on Science and Studies, would obtain a certain concession when applying to a university. Perhaps this will even encourage them to serve voluntarily,” Žukauskas commented his idea to ELTA.
According to the MP, the change would not hinder the process of university studies, while university students could opt for voluntary service. The politician says that Minister of National Defence Arvydas Anušauskas and Chairman of the Seimas Committee on National Security and Defence Laurynas Kasčiūnas did not express major objections to the idea.
Although MP Kasčiūnas described the proposal as “interesting”, yet he did not rule out that university students would have to interrupt their studies to serve in the Armed Forces.
The Ministry of National Defence had stated that the possibility should be eliminated for students to postpone their military service and conditions should be created for them to serve. According to the ministry, they would be able to choose between 3-year training as junior officers to become reserve officers and 3-year service as volunteers. The service would last 15 weekends a year, i.e. 45 weekends in 3 years.