Belgium introduces voluntary military service for 500 young people

Twenty years after the end of compulsory military service, Belgium is introducing a voluntary service for young people aged 18 to 25. Some attend an information session, held by the army in Brussels, to learn more about the service. Starting in the summer of 2026, 500 of them will spend a year in the armed forces after ten weeks of military training. They will then make the choice of whether or not to return to civilian life.