Contract service

Contract service is not just a job. The serviceman under contract is a professional defender of the Homeland.

At present, improvement of the manning system of the Armed Forces with the rank and file is the most important area of the RF Defence Ministry’s activities.

The main priority in this work is represented by clear advantage of qualitative characteristics over quantitative ones, what implies increasing the number of contract professionals in the Armed Forces’ strength. In accordance with the assignment of the RF President, by 1 January 2017 the number of soldiers, sailors, sergeants and petty officers serving under contract in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation will amount to 425 thousand people.

In order to ensure timely and quality implementation of the directives of the Russian Federation’s President the Ministry of Defence has developed the basic approaches to manning of troops (forces) with servicemen under contract.

Manning of troops (forces) with servicemen under contract is based on the rigid multi-level system of selection of candidates, obligatory sending them to instruction in training centres or educational institutions for preparation and subsequent conclusion of contracts, as well as multi-level system of military service, which provides, depending on qualifications, professional growth of contract servicemen.

Algorithm of selection of candidates for military service under contract

The process of selection of candidates for military service under contract includes three stages: initial, pre-and in-depth selection.

Phases of candidates’ study involves realizing the possibilities of the selection point itself, mobile selection point (after its delivery to the Armed Forces), military commissariats (including their municipal departments), and military units.

However, in-depth study is carried out only at selection points with involving possibilities of the Military Commissariat of the Russian Federation’s Entity (military medical commissions, groups of professional-and-psychological selection). In this case, municipal departments of military commissariats (over 2 thousand) are involved in connection with significant remote location of the candidates from selection points.

Initial selection includes:

Firstly, self-test of the candidate through the use of the Russian Defence Ministry's website. The tests are developed by the Scientific-and- Practical Centre of the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces.

Secondly, interviewing, testing the candidate at mobile selection point (during its work it the local level).

Pre-selection is carried out by the municipal department of the RF Entity's military commissariat in the case of significant distance between the candidate's place of residence and the selection point. Herewith the candidate shall arrive at the municipal department on his own authority or according to the assignment of mobile selection point.

Pre-selection includes:

• military vocational direction finding;

• filing a formalized document (application form);

• studying and reviewing the personal data of the candidate and his trustworthiness (citizenship, employment and study references, results of queries to law enforcement bodies, the study of health on the basis of the medical book from the clinic);

• pre-employment medical examination (by unauthorized medical board);

• pre-professional psychological selection at the appropriate service place.

The preliminary results obtained are directed to a point of selection for the subsequent selection and in-depth study.

Initial and preliminary selection may be held in a military unit.

In-depth (final) selection is carried out at a point of selection  regarding all the pre-qualified candidates or candidates having independently arrived at the point of selection, if they are living relatively close.

In-depth selection includes:

• studying and reviewing the personal data of the candidate and his trustworthiness;

• thorough medical examination;

• in-depth professional psychological selection;

• verification of physical fitness;

• forming the candidate’s personal file;

• if necessary, registration of admission to the information constituting a state secret.

Selection is completed by decision-making on validity of the candidate for military service under the contract and direction of him to a training unit for conclusion of a contract and training required.

Prior to amending the law the appropriate decision is taken by the Commission of the Military Commissariat of the Russian Federation’s Entity, and later – by the Commission of the Military District’s Personnel Administration.

Depending on the Armed Forces’ scarcity of the candidate's civil education and military training, his place of residence and periodicity of training at training units, from 1-2 weeks to 6 months may extend from the beginning of selection up to making a decision on admission of the candidate for military service under the contract and sending him to a military training unit.

For military personnel of the final stage of conscription, and expressed a desire to enter military service under the contract, the selection algorithm is different in that the initial and preliminary stages (if the corresponding resources are available) are made in advance in the unit and then all of the results are directed in the selection point (in the corresponding Entity of the Russian Federation), where a decision is made relative to the candidate.

The right to sign the first contract on behalf of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation with the mandatory probation during the period of 3 months is given to the commander of a military training unit, wherein the selected candidate is sent for military training. This applies to both candidates among civilians, as well as from the army, who are completing military service.

The fact (legal confirmation) of conclusion (termination) of the contract with the citizen and his enlistment (dismissal) will be announced in the Order of the Minister of Defence.