Saturday, March 11: 13 NRP soldiers Monday, a coastal patrol vessel, refuse to board. They claim that the safety on board is not good. The decision means that a mission to escort a Russian ship north of Madeira’s Porto Santo island will not be fulfilled. This mission was approved by the hierarchical superiors.
The Navy later confirms that the boat did in fact have a failed engine (but it was repaired the next day). Despite, the mission should have been carried out, “since it was short-lived and close to the coast, with good oceanographic meteorological conditions”. Admiral Gouveia e Melo, Chief of Staff of the Navy, went to the scene a few days later and spoke harsh words against the mutineers. The incident says: “it is something that can never be ignored and forgotten”.
However, last Friday, the President of the Republic revealed that the investigation opened by the Navy determined that the mission could have been carried out, with no reasons to determine otherwise.
What impact might this incident have at a time when there are 110 voluntary enlistment vacancies in the Navy (100 for enlisted men and 10 for sergeant training, through March 28)? Interrogated by the DN, the opposition parties practically all converge: in addition to leaving their mark on the Allies (something that Gouveia e Melo had already said to the military), potential candidates could also interpret what happened as a sign of lack of conditions and attractiveness in the field.
Jorge Paulo Oliveira, of the PSD, believes that the incident “could lead the partners to think that our navy is not capable”; Pedro Pessanha, from Chega, speaks at the “tip of the iceberg” of more structural problems (“the lack of maintenance” and the “age of the equipment”); Rodrigo Saraiva, parliamentary leader of the IL, speaks in a “cry of warning”; João Dias, of the PCP, believes that it incident “is likely to tarnish the image of the armed forces as a whole”; Inês Sousa Real, of the PAN, favors caution and says “we should not interfere” in the investigation process; the Livre parliamentary office also speaks “in a warning to the state of maintenance and maintenance of equipment”.
Last Friday (the 17th) Joana Mortágua, from BE, referring to the case of the NRP Monday asked the defense minister in parliament whether the description of the ship by the insurgent army was true and whether the minister would board a ship under those terms, warning that “courage cannot be suppressed”.
The PS, on the other hand, considered the attitude of the soldiers on the ship Mondego through deputy Diogo Leão as “clear insubordination”, arguing that the political power should not try to justify this kind of episode in the armed forces.
“Alimony below expectations”
In addition to the navy, the other two branches of the armed forces (air force and army) currently also have vacancies. In the case of the Air Force, there are 390 positions open through March 24 (290 for enlisted personnel and 100 for officer training). As an official Public Relations Office source explained to DN, this number equates to “only the first tender this year,” with 779 job openings expected. (In 2022, 1065 positions were opened for contracts in the Air Force – branch of the armed forces most sought after in the previous year (with over 2500 applications).
But, assumes the same source, “compliance was below expectations and strategic ambition”. Until last Wednesday (March 15), there were 365 registrations (109 for officers and 256 for soldiers). In the context of the Air Force, the specialty most needed is Air Police (with 48). Those wishing to apply must be a maximum of 23 years old (in the case of the competition for officers) or 24 years old if they apply for the training for soldiers.
With regard to the other branch (the military), the vacancies are more: 2500. But the competition takes place all year round, according to an official source to DN. The needs are greater here. There are 380 places in one specialty alone (automotive paints).
In this particular case, “the adhesion has undergone some fluctuation over the years.” I.e: over the past five years, the period has been relatively stable, “oscillating between 4000 and 4500 annual applications”. However, the same source clarifies, the years 2020 and 2021 were the years in which the highest average of applications and incorporations were verified: 5 thousand and 2100, respectively. Coinciding with the Covid-19 pandemic period, and, the military says, “directly affected by this variable”.
How many staff?
However, this compliance in previous years is difficult to confirm. Looking at the latest available figures, it is not even possible to see with certainty how many troops the armed forces have. At the end of 2021, the numbers were disparate depending on which entity you asked.
For the Ministry of National Defense (MDN) there were 27,741; the Directorate-General for Administration and Employment (DGAE) accounted for 26,130; the Pordata portal indicated 26,600; finally, the General Staff of the Armed Forces (which brings together the three branches) said there were 23,347 soldiers. This last figure was the closest to what seemed the real thing at the time because, as Ana Miguel dos Santos pointed out to DN last February, “what really matters is that of the active army employed by the branches” .
What is certain is that there was another drop in personnel in 2021, after an increase in the number of military personnel in 2020 – something that the MDN, then led by João Gomes Cravinho, said had been happening for at least three years, in “continued growth” .
In an attempt to update this data, DN has contacted the Ministry of Defense twice. In addition to confronting and questioning him about this discrepancy in the data, he was also asked about the number of personnel in the various branches of the armed forces during the past year. Both times, the guardianship did not respond.
New strategies, yes, but more appreciation
Faced with this scenario and the perceived lack of compliance with at least one of the volunteer recruitment competitions, the Army and Air Force are already rethinking the way they communicate with the target audience.
In addition to the fact that both branches use the Institute for Labor and Vocational Training (IEFP) to highlight their offer and thus reach more potential candidates, there is also attention for digital platforms. For example, the Air Force focused on advertisements on YouTube and on the stream Spotify. In the case of the military, this branch is also present in the webwith profiles on different social networks, and there is even a helpline to clarify doubts, which has been working on WhatsApp since 2020.
Although these new communication strategies are well appreciated by the parties, all opposition demands more attention to careers.
For Jorge Paulo Oliveira, from PSD, it is necessary to “bet on the image of the armed forces. Civil society still thinks they are only military. They are not. It is necessary to realize that they are not only used to defend the territory, but are also part of national sovereignty,” he believes. “For example, National Defense Day should be maintained, but is necessary to ensure better wages in the sector”, emphasizes.
Pedro Pessanha, from Chega, goes in the same direction: “I don’t know if the return of compulsory military service would help. The question is about repairing the army at the end of the contract. Personally, I think it is at least necessary to think about a salary increase for young people and thus increase the attractiveness of a career in the armed forces.”
Rodrigo Saraiva, of the Liberal Initiative, reveals that the party is “studying a range of measures” that value careers. The deputy – also a member of the parliamentary committee for national defense – mentions that in addition to the need to make the activity “attractive” so that “every young person sees it as a professional opportunity”, it is also necessary to provide “more flexible opportunities in the military career, with a greater interface and impact on civil society”, for example.
Further to the left, the PCP is demanding better wages for young people. “A fair salary is essential to attract the attention of young people”, deputy João Dias defends. “Hearing reports of sailors spending month after month on board, away from their families and on low wages,” he finds demobilizing.
Inês Sousa Real, leader and only member of the PAN, agrees. “The biggest question is about the attractiveness of the careers. The new communication strategies help to give more visibility, yes, but the debate needs to be extended to wages and conditions,” he defends.
A source from Livre’s parliamentary office tells DN that as long as conditions are like the current ones, “the armed forces will never be attractive, nor will they be able to maintain their army”.
Questions and answers
What is the strength of the armed forces?
The answer to this question has four hypotheses, depending on the source we use. The latest data available as of December 31, 2021 indicates that there are 27,741 for the Department of Defense; for the General Directorate of Administration and Public Employment (DGAEP) there are 26,130; for Pordata/INE there are 26,600 and for the General Staff of the Armed Forces (EMGFA), which brings together the army, air force and navy, there are 23,347. Since 2016, the Ministry of Defense publishes the Statistical Yearbook.
How can you join the armed forces?
Since the end of compulsory military service in 2004, three models have been enlisted: the normal, for providing actual service on a contract or voluntary basis; the special, for providing effective volunteer service in the permanent staff; and the exceptional, for rendering effective service in response to summons or mobilization (the latter governed by a separate statute).
Is there a staff shortage?
Yes. Just look at the number that the government has set for 2022 at the number of staff needed, 32,077, and compare with the current one. The number of military personnel in the armed forces is not yet known in 2022. In 2012, 38,000 military personnel were employed (including reserve), a decrease to approximately 30% in 10 years.
Which branch lost more soldiers?
The army was the branch that lost the most soldiers. Between 2012 and 2020, the Army lost the most soldiers (18%), followed by the Navy (16%) and the Air Force (13%). the air force about a thousand. In 2021, only 41% of the active army was enlisted and 59% were officers and sergeants: they don’t even have one soldier for each.
With Valentina Marcelino
Source: DN
