Sweaty and out of breath, young Poles train near Warsaw, throwing grenades and evacuating the wounded. Rather than relaxing on the beach, they’ve chosen military training for their summer holidays.

Nearly 10,000 men and women have signed up for the month-long, paid 'Holidays with the Army' program launched by Poland's Ministry of Defence to encourage military service among young people. This initiative comes as Poland intensifies efforts to bolster its security amid regional tensions.

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Poland – an EU and NATO member sharing borders with Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine – has been actively strengthening its defenses, wary of becoming the next potential target.

"The training includes shooting and tactics courses, terrain study, and protection against air attacks," said Lieutenant Patrycja Adamska, spokesperson for the 10th Motorised Infantry Regiment, one of the units participating in the program.

"Recruits have the opportunity to discover the discipline of military life," Lieutenant Adamska told AFP.

The participants, mostly aged between 18 and 20, spend 27 days embedded in a unit. At the end of the program, they receive a military rank and can choose to continue their service or join the reserves.

Michal Piekut, a 29-year-old international security student, was surprised by the intensity of the exercises. With his face camouflaged and dressed in full combat gear, the exhausted trainee struggled to stand.

"This isn't a holiday, it's intensive military training… I already thought I wouldn't make it," he told AFP after dragging a heavy box of ammunition several meters across the sand.

"No one has fainted yet, but it's still early in the day," he notes.

Lieutenant Michal Gelej from the army recruitment office describes the programme as "a wonderful alternative to summer jobs," offering a salary of €1,400 for those who complete it.

Goran Meredith, a 19-year-old American studies student at the University of Warsaw, says the pay and the summer timing made it possible for him to participate. Otherwise, he "wouldn't have had time to be here."

The war in Ukraine also influenced his decision.

Michal Piekut is considering a military career: "I want to become a reserve soldier and, if necessary, serve my country."

Inspired by Ukraine

Immediately following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Poland enacted a national security law aimed, among other goals, at increasing military personnel. The country also introduced voluntary conscription, which, according to Lieutenant Michal Gelej, attracted nearly 90,000 applicants in 2023 and 2024.

Poland has since launched the 'Holidays with the Army' programme, alongside military exercises in schools and weekend training courses for civilians, all supported by a large social media campaign.

"The Ukrainian experience teaches us [...] that a professional army wears itself out in about a year," says Bartosz Marczuk, an expert at the Sobieski Institute and co-author of a report on the potential reintroduction of compulsory military training in Poland. "We are the largest country on NATO's eastern flank and effectively the keystone of security in that region."

Marczuk believes that any return to compulsory military service should first be preceded by voluntary programmes. "All initiatives of this kind must be supported," he told AFP.

In March, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced plans to expand the voluntary military training programme to accommodate 100,000 recruits annually by 2027, aiming to create "an army of reservists."

However, Michal Piekut doubts many compatriots could meet the demanding requirements. "Most adults wouldn't be able to do it. The physical, psychological, and discipline standards are very high," he said

Goran Meredith agreed: "We're only in our first week, and already 10 people have dropped out, which unfortunately says a lot."