Ministry of Defense studies 'military service before university or vocational studies'

Ensuring fairness in military recruitment

In a document responding to voters in Thai Binh province's proposal to amend the 2015 Military Service Law in the direction that all young men of military age must perform military service, then go to university or vocational school to ensure fairness and fairness, the Ministry of National Defense confirmed that the process of selecting and calling citizens to join the army every year has problems and inadequacies, including the issue that voters in Thai Binh reported.

Bộ Quốc phòng nghiên cứu 'đi nghĩa vụ quân sự trước khi học đại học hoặc nghề' - Ảnh 1. — The Ministry of National Defense said that the implementation of military service still has many shortcomings and problems, including fairness for young people of military age.

According to the 2015 Law on Military Service, all citizens of military age must perform military service. However, due to the country's limited economic conditions and many other factors, it is not possible to call all young men to join the army.

Every year, only 3 - 3.2% of the total number of young men of military age are called up for military service.

Therefore, the Ministry of National Defense affirmed to accept the recommendations of Thai Binh voters, study, consider reporting to the Government, and submit to the National Assembly to amend and supplement the 2015 Law on Military Service.

Along with that, the Ministry of National Defense will direct competent agencies to review legal documents implementing the Law on Military Service; research and propose to the Government and relevant ministries and branches to amend, supplement and complete the system of legal documents related to the field of military service to ensure unity and synchronization in implementation, contributing to fairness in military recruitment.

Many problems related to evading military service

Regarding this issue, the report submitted by the Ministry of Justice to the Government on the Law and Ordinance Development Program for 2024; Adjustment of the Program for 2023 said that the Ministry of National Defense proposed to submit to the National Assembly to amend and supplement a number of articles of the 2015 Law on Military Service during the term of the 15th National Assembly.

The review report of the Ministry of National Defense is expected to be submitted to the National Assembly for consideration and comments at the 9th session (May 2025) and approved at the 10th session (October 2025).

Regarding the content of temporary deferment of military service, the review study of the Ministry of National Defense shows that point g, clause 1, article 41 of the 2015 Law on Military Service stipulates that citizens who are receiving regular university and college training will be temporarily deferred from military service during the duration of a training course of a training level.

However, cases of extension of study, retention, missed subjects, and re-examination of graduation are not specifically regulated, leading to citizens taking advantage to avoid military service...

In addition, according to the review report of the Ministry of National Defense, the registration for military service when changing the place of residence or place of work or study as prescribed in Clause 2, Article 17 of the Law on Military Service 2015 also has many shortcomings.

Specifically, vocational training institutions and universities have not yet established a systematic process of registration and management of military service. Registration for military service transfer upon admission and registration for transfer after graduation to the locality, workplace or school is not strictly implemented, thereby creating loopholes for some citizens of military age to avoid performing military service.

According to the 2015 Law on Military Service, the age for military service is from 18 to 25 years old. For citizens with college or university degrees who have been temporarily deferred from military service, the age for military service is up to 27 years old.

Recruit once or twice a year?

The research and review report of the Ministry of National Defense said that Article 33 of the 2015 Law on Military Service stipulates that military recruitment is organized once a year, which has created favorable conditions for localities to send troops, limiting petitions related to temporary deferment of military service when citizens are admitted to universities and colleges (September every year).

However, recruiting in one batch leads to a number of military units and technical branches lacking non-commissioned officers and soldiers who are technical specialists (during the training period for new soldiers and the technical specialist training period) more than recruiting in two batches per year.

However, according to the Ministry of National Defense, if the military recruitment is carried out twice a year, it will not completely overcome the above situation and will cause disruption and waste money.

In particular, there will be many petitions related to the postponement of active military service at the time of the second recruitment round as before the 2015 Military Service Law (2 recruitment rounds/year).

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/bo-quoc-phong-nghien-cuu-di-nghia-vu-quan-su-truoc-khi-hoc-dai-hoc-hoac-nghe-185230201121228073.htm