First Steps in Professionalizing the Private and Sergeant Corps

CHISINAU, November 8, 2018 — The National Army privates and sergeants will have new military ranks and the term “non-commissioned officer” will be excluded. These provisions are included in the draft law for the amendment of certain legislative acts, approved today in final reading, at the plenary session of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova.

According to chief of Human Resources Development and Military Education Policy Directorate, Col. Alexandru Roman, the new military ranks are to be correlated with the military functions of those having these ranks, with the studies and professional training they must have in order to hold these positions, as well as considering the period since they have started to work and their previous military ranks.

Thus, the sergeant first class will become sergeant, while the staff-sergeant will become corporal. The current ranks of sergeant, corporal, and private first class will be equivalent to “private”.

According to the draft, the terms of holding a military rank will also change. Consequently, for the private corps the term will vary from 6 months to 1 year, for the sergeants the term will be from 2 to 3 years.

The source specified that all these amendments will be contained in the Regulations on how to conduct the military service in the Armed Forces approved by the Government and the Military Career Guidelines approved by the commander of the military unit or department.

Col. Roman added that the draft law’s aim is to delimit and define the role of private and sergeant within the military units and to ensure the formation of a commanding corps consisting of professional junior leaders.

The draft includes amendments to Law No. 1244-XV on Armed Forces Reserve, Law No. 1245-XV as of July 18, 2002 on Training the citizens for the defense of the Motherland and Law No. 162-XVI as of July 22, 2005 on the Statute of the military and is part of the first stage of the Armed Forces’ professionaization process.