Kazakhstan to have entirely professional military

    By Amina Akhmetzhan
    Hoping to raise the quality of its armed forces, the country plans by 2016 to have a military comprised entirely, or mostly, of contracted troops.
    However, Border Force and Internal Troops will remain conscripted. Because these forces are much smaller than the army, navy or air force, they will draft relatively few men – about 500 per year.
    The Defence Ministry announced its plan in October.
    
    Current composition of army
    Kazakhstan has 80,000 troops, most of whom serve under contract, First Deputy Defence Minister Saken Zhasuzakov said.
    The country introduced military contracts in 2003, and they have become increasingly popular.
    More than 7,000 Kazakhstani citizens have applied to become contract troops so far this year, compared with about 5,000 in all of 2012, according to the Defence Ministry.
    The ministry still has 12,000 drafted servicemen, Zhasuzakov said. By instituting a process by which it discharges more draftees than it calls up cyclically, it plans to have a 99% professional military by 2016, he said.
    Conscripts currently are obligated to serve either 12 or 18 months, but they have the option to pursue contract service.
    
    Longer service but better terms
    Serving under contract means a longer commitment but better terms for the serviceman, security analyst Anatoly Temyanov said.
    "Conscripts serve between a year and 18 months," he said. "Contract troops serve three years or more. Conscripts may become contract troops eventually [if they want]."
    The contract troops have some advantages over conscripts, too.
    "The contracts offer 43,000 to 300,000 KZT [US $280 to $1,952] per month and mean better housing, etc.," Temyanov said. "Contract troops have more incentive to serve professionally because the better they do, their pay, rank and working conditions will all improve."
    Baurjan Madreinov signed a three-year contract in May and has been serving in a special unit. In that short time, he's learned to assemble a gun correctly and to conduct himself in an emergency. He considers the military a way of life, not just a job.
    "I am now the commander of my detachment," he said. "I don't regret that I am serving under contract, because the state pays us well and meets all our needs."
    Unlike conscripts, who live in barracks, contract troops spend their free time at home and go on duty as if going to work. Most take the three-year minimum contract, but many stay longer since the pay is a strong incentive for many Kazakhstanis to join.
    Like Madreinov, Sergeant Alisher Koshkimbay noted the benefits of joining voluntarily.
    "The main reason I signed a contract is the steady wage and full medical coverage for a serviceman and his family," he said. "[The state] also pays my rent."
    
    Increased professionalism of military
    The military needs experienced troops who know their way around an emergency, Yerlan Nurtakanov, deputy chief of the Almaty municipal Department for Defence Affairs, said.
    "A professional is someone who serves for three or more years and knows his specialty and the equipment entrusted to him inside and out. So, of course, his commitment is quite different [from a draftee's]," he said. "Because of those factors, we expect greater efficiency."
    Contract service is open to anyone, with no higher education required. However, the selection process requires them to pass various psychological exams and to have sound physical health.
    Once in the military, contracted troops can take advantage of other benefits, like pursuing studies at the university, Central Asia Online states.