Misajlovski: Professional soldiers may remain in the Army after turning 45

Minister of Defense Vlado Misajlovski announced a personnel reform that will allow professional soldiers who turn 45 to remain employed by the Army as civilian staff until they become eligible for old-age pension. The change, presented after a government session, gives each soldier a choice between taking a severance package, transferring to another state institution, or converting their fixed-term military contract into a permanent civil-service position within the Army.

New options aim to keep experienced staff in service

Under the reform, every professional soldier who reaches the age of 45 will be offered the option to either accept a severance payment or continue working in the Army as a civilian employee by transforming their employment from fixed-term to open-ended. The measure explicitly preserves the existing possibility for such soldiers to transfer to other state institutions.

"With this reform we create a solution so that every soldier can remain as a civilian in the Army until they reach the years for an old-age pension. Soldiers will finally, deservedly, be able to be satisfied and secure even after their 45th year. All options remain — severance pay, transfer to institutions, and with this reform we create the possibility for every soldier to remain as a civilian in the Army. This is a reform we've worked on for a long time, which stems from the Army and is supported by the unions," Misajlovski said at the press conference.

Misajlovski also said that in talks with the minister of finance an agreement was reached to sign a collective agreement and increase salaries in the Army.

Chief of the General Staff Sashko Lafchiski explained that soldiers who choose to convert their contracts after turning 45 will be assigned to secure army facilities, which will relieve commands and units of that additional duty.

"That, without exception and as a rule, is a secondary, tertiary task, an obligation — and I would say an additional burden on those commands and units, and according to their mission and core tasks it is always an extra load. With this proposed solution that very important obligation will be taken over precisely by the professional soldiers. I assure you that there is no better personnel than the professional soldiers who will decide to transform their employment relationship to carry out this obligation," Lafchiski said. Misajlovski added that the announcement has already increased interest among soldiers to remain in the Army.

Photo: press material from the event