The Luxembourg Army swore in 47 new soldiers and honoured 40 others bound for overseas deployment during a ceremony in Wiltz on Friday, part of a wider drive to boost recruitment.
On Friday, the Luxembourg Army welcomed 47 new recruits in a swearing-in ceremony at the Strike Memorial in Wiltz, while also honouring 40 soldiers for their service on missions abroad.
The 47 new soldiers, belonging to the 206th recruit session, represented an exceptionally successful cohort with a pass rate of nearly 90%. The Chief of Staff, General Steve Thull, expressed his satisfaction with the results, noting that while he had initially hoped for more applicants, the high success rate was a significant achievement.
Despite this success, the army faces a substantial recruitment challenge in the coming years. Minister of Defence Yuriko Backes stated that the military needs to fill up to 650 roles across a diverse range of careers. "From soldiers to experts in, for example, the cyber or satellite fields," she said, emphasising that "there's truly something for every career." The search for suitable candidates, she added, will extend beyond Luxembourg's borders to include the wider EU.
Minister Backes claimed that Luxembourg has "no choice" but to better position itself alongside its allies. This entails increased investment in both national and collective defence, as well as a focused effort on recruitment. "Without soldiers, you cannot defend yourself," Backes stated.
General Thull expressed confidence in meeting these goals. He stressed that the priority is fulfilling the targets set by NATO in 2021, a goal towards which Luxembourg is largely on track. However, he acknowledged that new capability targets added for 2025 present a greater challenge, as they were not part of the army's original planning. An analysis is currently underway to determine how the army can adapt to these new requirements.
Thull indicated that the army would adopt a "very innovative" approach to recruitment and retention. One key path is to better reward military service, a point also highlighted by Minister Backes, who noted that soldiers do not have "an everyday job." Neither official, however, elaborated on the other specific strategies being considered.
The ceremony concluded by recognising 40 soldiers who were awarded medals for their service on international deployments.
