The 20th National Defense Day will begin on the 16th with around 134,000 youth being drafted, with the minister emphasizing the importance of the initiative to “strengthen citizenship” as well as recruitment.
These data were presented at the launch ceremony of this publication, which took place this afternoon at Air Base No. 1 in the municipality of Sintra, where it was announced that this year 133,998 citizens “born in 2005” were invited to participate in the event. This is a mandatory civil initiative activity aimed at raising awareness among young people who have reached adulthood on the topic of National Defense and the role of the Armed Forces.
“Raising awareness among young people about the importance of national defense and the role and mission of the Portuguese Armed Forces is a fundamental element in encouraging recruitment. But National Defense Day is not just about recruitment. This important initiative is also – and above all – an element of strengthening citizenship and civic education, which reflects the nature of national defense as the duty of all citizens,” defended Defense Minister Helena Carreiras.
The minister was speaking at the end of the ceremony, which began with a speech by Air Force Chief of Staff General Cartacho Alves, who suggested that National Defense Day should be “recruitment-focused” without being “tied to preconceived patterns.” and wants to discuss “new perspectives” on this initiative.
Helena Carreiras considered “it is imperative that the Armed Forces and National Defense assert themselves in order to promote rapprochement with civil society and thereby strengthen their legitimacy and social relevance.”
“But we cannot but recognize: the Armed Forces also need to strengthen their human resources to ensure that their missions are accomplished. In this sense, as a potential first contact with a military establishment, National Defense Day always includes an appropriate visibility component. and attractiveness towards military professions, allowing participants to consider them as a valid and reliable option for their professional or career future,” he emphasized.
Helena Carreiras stressed that “the importance attached to the Armed Forces and the outright positive views expressed by young people are remarkable”, recognizing, however, that there is scope for stimulating greater interest in joining the military, “which involves the development of specific adaptations of the Armed Forces strategy Strength not only to the evolution of trends in young people’s aspirations, but also to the qualities they most prefer in terms of employment.”
At this ceremony, attended by the Secretary of State for Youth and Sports, João Paulo Correia, a protocol of cooperation was signed between the Directorate General of National Defense Resources (DGRDN) and the Portuguese Institute of Sports and Youth (IPDJ) within the scope of this activity.
The Secretary of State expressed his full readiness to cooperate in promoting and disseminating National Defense Day.
The 20th National Defense Day will begin on January 16 and end on November 29, with breaks in June and August, and will involve 41 units from three branches.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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