Career soldiers set to face new contract terms

Defence minister Samuel Schmid (left) wants to change the contract for career soldiers Keystone

The Swiss defence ministry is set to alter contracts for new career soldiers, compelling them to go on missions abroad if ordered to do so.

But the ministry does not see the move as an obligation for soldiers to serve abroad.

It rather views it as a way of allowing those who want to serve abroad to carry out foreign missions.

“The employee declares that he is willing to take part in short or long-term operations (for example, peacekeeping service), if he is ordered to do so by his employer,” is the relevant clause that is set to go into new career soldiers’ contracts.

It also states that a refusal to carry out such an order may constitute grounds for dismissal.

Existing contracts are to be modified to take account of the new ruling, with permission of the employees.

Voluntary nature

Until now, the voluntary nature of service abroad had often been promoted.

The defence minister, Samuel Schmid, proposed the new reforms in a letter to the army chief, Christophe Keckeis, who passed them on to his staff on November 1.

But the ministry rejects the notion of that people will be compelled into overseas service.

“It is not a case of forcing our people to go abroad,” commented the head of army communications, Marco Oswald, following an article in the ‘SonntagsZeitung’ newspaper.

“We are rather trying to steer a course for those who want to go, to actually be able to go,” he added.

Staff shortages

Oswald explained that service abroad had often been hindered by staff shortages.

This meant that superiors had often said no to a career officer who wanted to take part in a foreign mission.

It had led to a to a situation that was unsatisfactory for the officer concerned and in terms of training possibilities.

At present, 90 per cent of those carrying out foreign missions are Swiss militia soldiers.

“If we want to remain credible in terms of career possibilities, then we have to change this,” Oswald said.

swissinfo with agencies

Key facts

Army personnel abroad include:

Military observers
Middle East: 11
Georgia: 4
Democratic Republic of Congo: 2
Ethiopia/Eritrea: 4

Kosovo Peace Mission: up to 220 armed volunteers in Swisscoy.

Afghanistan: 4 staff officers

Bosnia-Herzigovina: 11

In brief

Switzerland has taken part in peacekeeping missions since 1953. At that time, it deployed 93 staff of all ranks to support the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission in supervising the armistice between the two Koreas.

Today, there are still six officers stationed in the truce village of Panmunjom.

The Swiss Armed Forces International Command (Swissint) is responsible for all military contingents and personnel in peace-support deployments abroad.