The National Assembly Committee on Defense and Security discussed proposed changes to the Law on Military Service and Status of Military Servicemen. Prosperous Armenia deputy and National Assembly Vice Speaker Vahe Enfiajyan presented the draft during the committee’s recent session.
The draft proposed that 18 year olds should not have to carry out combat duties, and only those who have more experience should do so. At the moment, soldiers who have passed 5 months of training can carry out combat duties, but the draft proposes that this be increased to one year.
Deputy Minister of Defense Gabriel Balayan said that several statistics show that it is clear that soldiers who have passed one year of service are more frequently victims of tragic incidents, including death, than those who have passed the five months of training before they have reached one year of service.
It was suggested that Enfiajyan postpone discussions and research more details, but he did not agree to this. The draft was voted upon and it did not pass.
