It was not a good way to start the day. Scanning the morning headlines — as is my habit each day — my attention was immediately drawn to a startling item a couple of days ago:

“Eastern Europe’s armies struggle to enlist young people with war not far away.”

“. . . with war not far away”?!! Is this now an accepted fact in that part of the world?

It seems to be . . . or, at the very least, it’s considered to be a strong possibility. And if Russia succeeds in defeating and reclaiming Ukraine, then war rises to the level of a distinct probability. Because, once on the move, Russia will not stop. Like a runaway lawn mower, it will chew up every blade of grass it can find (and a few shrubs along the way), rebuilding the USSR and re-absorbing its former Eastern Bloc satellites, one hapless, helpless country at a time.

We in the West may consider this far-fetched, even a sign of mass hysteria. But Eastern Europe knows better; it lives directly under Russia’s shadow, and has experienced its fearsome control in the past. And so it is taking precautions.

But not without difficulty. Unemployment is low in most of the former Soviet-satellite states now in NATO, resulting in low military enlistment figures. Who wants to join the army when you already have a good job? Recruitment targets have been missed over the past several years, leaving army units understaffed and unable to attain combat readiness. [Michael Kahn, Reuters, August 9, 2024.]

In the Czech Republic, for example, one army program attracted around 80 high school students who opted to spend four weeks training in a closed military zone about 58 miles west of Prague. But the program may not be able to continue operating at its present 50 percent of capacity. General Karel Rehka, the Czech Armed Forces Chief, stated:

“We want to deter any potential adversary in the future. If we don’t do anything about the lack of human resources in the military . . . it may mean that we won’t be able to preserve our peace and to deter any potential enemy.”

General Rehka continued: “We cannot do anything without people — if we modernise equipment and don’t have enough competent people and motivated people, that is all wasted money.” [Reuters, id.]

Tomas Kopecny, former Deputy Defense Minister of the Czech Republic, put it this way:

“We also see the probability of Russian aggression against us as not impossible . . . within a few years. So in case Russia attacks, we need to know we can count on a certain amount of soldiers and capabilities.”

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And the problem is the same for former Soviet satellites that share a border with Ukraine: Poland, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia are all struggling to keep up with military requirements.

In Poland, officials say they are meeting their recruiting targets and plan to increase the limits; but critics have questioned whether the goal (an army of 300,000 soldiers) is realistic. While the number of recruits, according to the most recent data, is said to have risen, some 9,000 professional soldiers left the service in 2023. [Reuters, id.]

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Hungary has not published recent recruitment data; it has, however, launched a media campaign — billboards, advertisements, and an upcoming military-themed TV series — to attract new enlistees. [Reuters, id.] If that seems less than adequate, you’re right . . . it is. And one reason is likely to be the Russia-leaning policies of the country’s Prime Minister, Viktor Orban. Hungary could be in serious trouble.

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And in Romania, recent data showed that 43 percent of officers’ positions were vacant, along with those of 23 percent of soldiers and other professional ranks. [Reuters, id.]

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These countries have performed political, economic and humanitarian miracles since breaking from the former Soviet Union just over thirty years ago. And now they must once again gather forces to prevent a slide back into the horrors of totalitarianism. To do so, they are placing their hopes on the new generation of students such as John Dunka, a Czech high school student who participated in his country’s army summer camp, and plans to enlist after graduation. He shared his thoughts:

“Wearing this uniform includes a sense of pride. With all that has happened in the world, I’m glad I can participate in a camp like this.” [Reuters, id.]

We can only hope that there are enough John Dunkas in Eastern Europe to safeguard its future.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
8/12/24