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Hungary Manpower
Article 70 of the Constitution states that the "defense
of
the country shall be the duty of every citizen of the
Hungarian
People's Republic. Citizens shall perform military service
on the
basis of the universal system of the draft." Therefore,
according
to the National Defense Act of 1976, male citizens become
eligible for military service after January 1 of the year
in
which they turn eighteen. In 1988 about 75,300 males
turned
eighteen, of whom 25 percent--the highest percentage among
the
Warsaw Pact armies--could be expected to be found unfit
for
military service because of health problems. More than 32
percent
of conscripts were twenty-two years old, showing that many
men
were able to defer their military service for educational
or
other reasons.
Young men were liable for national service conscription
until
age twenty-three and subject to call-up in times of an
emergency
until age fifty-five. Those whose military service had
been
interrupted or postponed were liable for conscription
until age
twenty-eight, although draft evaders were liable for
conscription
until age forty. Women from ages eighteen to forty-five in
medical professions and women professionals within the
Ministry
of Interior were automatically registered for military
service
but could serve only in time of war and then only in
noncombatant
functions.
Before 1980 all recruits served for two years except
those
who had a completed their higher education; these recruits
served
for eighteen months. In 1980 the term of conscription was
reduced
to eighteen months but remained at twenty-four months for
those
conscripted into the air force. Recruits having children
served
even less time. In the late 1980s, call-up occurred twice
a year,
in February and in August.
Reserves consisted of physically fit men who were not
currently serving in the armed forces. Men who had never
been
drafted could be called up for six months of reserve
training
until age forty. Officers who had served could be called
up every
five years for a four-month period of refresher training,
while
NCOs and privates could be so trained for up to three
months
every five years. All physically fit males could be called
up at
least once a year for maneuvers lasting no more than
twenty days,
although legally, if necessary, they could serve for a
full year.
Conscripts could be kept an additional two months after
completing national service.
Data as of September 1989
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