Belgium moves to scrap age limit for military reservists

By Melike Pala

BRUSSELS (AA) - Belgium is preparing to remove the age limit for joining the military as a reservist as part of efforts to boost recruitment and tap into a wider pool of expertise, according to a proposal submitted to parliament.

Peter Buysrogge, a lawmaker from the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) and chair of the parliamentary Defense Committee, has introduced a draft law to abolish the current maximum age of 34 for ordinary reservists, broadcaster VRT reported on Wednesday.

The age limit for reserve officers, currently set at 50, would also be removed under the proposal.

"Many people interested in becoming a reservist are reaching a limit. This means we're missing out on a lot of people," Buysrogge said.

Reservists in Belgium serve on a voluntary basis alongside their civilian jobs and are not employed full-time by the military.

According to Buysrogge, the system allows the armed forces to draw on specific skills and professional expertise when needed.

"We primarily look at your professional knowledge and specific skills. We can use all sorts of people in the Ministry of Defence, from people with IT skills to truck drivers," Buysrogge said.

Belgium's Defense Ministry aims to recruit at least 1,000 new reservists annually and hopes that removing age restrictions will help achieve that target.

Officials say interest has been high across different age groups and among both men and women.

The proposal does not affect age limits for professional soldiers, which will continue to depend on the specific function within the armed forces.

The initiative comes as Belgium significantly increases defense spending.

Under the government led by Prime Minister Bart De Wever, with Theo Francken as defense minister, Belgium plans to raise its defense budget to meet NATO’s target of 2% of gross domestic product.

The government has announced plans to invest nearly €17 billion ($20 billion) in additional funding for defense in the coming years.