National military service targets men aged between 25 and 29

AMMAN — The 12-month national military service programme will be compulsory for all Jordanian men, under Article 3 of the 1986 national service law and its amendments, Labour Minister Nidal Bataineh said during a joint press conference with Assistant Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for Administration and Manpower Brig. Gen. Abdullah Shdeifat.

Regarding the targeted segment and adopted criteria, the minister said that Jordanian men aged between 25 and 29 will be summoned this year, noting that the first batch will include those born in 1995, who meet the criteria, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Bataineh said that the programme attendees must be unemployed, with no social security subscriptions made during the last year prior to conscription.

The attendee must not be a partner in a registered company or owner of a registered institution, or working during the last year prior to the date of conscription, the labour minister said.

Those eligible to serve in the programme must pass a medical examination, should not be the only son of one of his parents, alive or dead, as well as not a student or living abroad, Petra reported.

Those enrolled in the military service programme will be offered JD100 monthly payment during the service period, the minister said, pointing out that the recruitment instructions and procedures at the Civil Service Bureau (CSB) will be amended to give more credit for conscripts.

On the reasons behind giving priority to the 25-29 age group, the minister said that unemployment rate is higher among this segment.

The programme is divided into three months of military service, including two weeks of community service, and nine months of preparatory training in the private sector, either on worksites, or receiving dual training, vocational or technical training in addition to on-the-job training, he added.

Regarding the difference between the National Service Programme and the mandatory military service, dubbed locally as “banner service”, Bataineh said that the government is still “involved” in the national programme.

He also pointed out that the programme, in its first two stages included 6,471 beneficiaries, while the second batch was affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Bataineh pointed out that the next batches of the National Service Programme, in cooperation with the Public Security Directorate, are optional for women, adding that instructions and procedures at the Civil Service Bureau (CSB) will be amended to give more credit for females who will enroll in the programme .

A total of 5,000 young men will be conscripted in the first batch for this current year, and 15,000 in 2021, Bataineh said, noting that the capacity will be increased gradually.

Meanwhile, Shdeifat said that military service/banner service law and its amendments, as well as other military laws, regulations and instructions, including the Military Penal Code, and health insurance will be applied to conscripts during the service period. 

A military appointment certificate will be given to conscripts in place of identification documents, he said.

Shdeifat also added that in the event of any military-service related injury, the provisions of the Social Security Law will be applied.