EU – Baltic States, Latvia, Security

The ministry said that under the National Defense Concept, at peace time the Latvian armed forces comprised 17,500 troops with military training, including 6,500 professional soldiers, 8,000 Home Guards and 3,000 reserve soldiers.

At present there are 7,655 reserve soldiers in the National Armed Forces records. The army is now updating its records concerning the place of residence of all reserve soldiers as some of them now live outside Latvia. Nevertheless, it will be their duty to attend the training sessions for reserve soldiers and to comply with the mobilization orders.

The Defense Ministry said that only part of all reserve soldiers would be called up in case of mobilization.

The National Armed Forces expects to have 3,000 reserve soldiers trained and attached to a specific army unit by the end of 2018.

Female Latvian citizens aged over 18 years can also join the reserve, even if they had not had any military training before. However, all women among the reserve troops have undergone military training with the Home Guard or have joined the military reserve after retiring from the professional military service.