MOLDOVAN ARMY TO HAVE 3 CLASSES OF SOLDIERS AND SERGEANTS

On Friday, the Moldovan Parliament approved in a first reading amendments to corresponding legislation so as to introduce a gradation of ranks among soldiers and sergeants.

The bill is an integral part of the reform being implemented in Moldova to transit to a professional army. The bill stipulates the introduction of three classes of soldiers, of the rank of a corporal, three classes of sergeants, and the rank of a general sergeant.

Secretary General of the Moldovan Ministry of Defense Radu Burdiuja said that each year a certain number of soldier positions will be undergoing the procedure of 'professionalization', i.e. the replacement of usual draftees with professionals to serve in the armed forces on the basis of personal contract. This year, for instance, 400 positions of draftees will be replaced with professionals, and next 2 years - 1,000 men each.

Radu Burdiuja said the mechanism of dividing military ranks has been taken from the Baltic States, but this model is used also in the United States and in Romania.

"The bill is called to raise the prestige and importance of the sub-officer personnel who form the basis, the backbone of the army. And this will permit to pay more to sergeants", said the MoD Secretary General.