In recent years, the reconsideration of the military service model, differentiation of service duration, and a trend towards transitioning to a professional army have become topics of discussion in a number of countries. In Azerbaijan, public discussions on this direction also occasionally come up.
Especially the idea of shortening the military service duration for persons with higher education and applying different durations for conscripts with secondary education is among the frequently voiced proposals in society.
According to the proposals, a 6-month service model for young people with higher education and a 1-year service for other conscripts could allow both more effective utilization of education and more flexible personnel planning for the army.
However, the implementation of such changes is directly related not only to social and educational factors but also to the country’s defense strategy, military training standards, and resource planning. Therefore, the feasibility of such a model remains one of the topics still in the discussion and evaluation phase.
Medianews.az reports that military expert Ədalət Verdiyev, speaking to Bakıvaxtı.az on the subject, stated that reducing the duration of military service for persons with higher education could be discussed in the future:
"In general, reducing the service duration to up to one year is practically possible. However, under the current conditions, this issue is not being discussed yet."
According to him, in the current situation of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces, at a time when combat operations continue in the region, lowering the recruitment rate of the army is not expedient.
Our interlocutor concluded by noting that the service durations in accordance with the requirements of the existing military service law are optimal for the current situation and these durations sufficiently justify themselves.