Drill for young people at an army camp in preparation for a job

The technical direction has been in existence for two years now, is becoming increasingly popular and the Ministry of Defense also sees a lot of opportunities in cooperation with the school. It’s serious. Here young people learn about discipline, discipline and structure.

“Of course we need a lot of young people in our organization. That is one of the major challenges for defense,” says Lieutenant Colonel Erik Verstraelen of the Lombardsijde Quarter. Enough choice.

Young people impressed

There are about 400 types of jobs in the military. “We have artillerymen, infantrymen, military police, mechanics, gunsmiths, cooks… We have a huge number of professions.”

In the secondary school in Torhout, they prepare 40 6th year students for jobs at the police, fire brigade, judiciary, security and defence.

“It was indeed far from their bed. Now it is already their 3rd camp. Their mobile phones also disappear for 3 days. That is already an adjustment. But there is also order, discipline, hierarchy. They have little use for that in normal civilian life So it makes a huge impression on them,” says Dieter Caluwier, Defense and Security Coordinator at SiVi-Torhout.

Drill is also included

They get to see all facets of barracks life. And a drill is basic for every soldier.

“I like doing that very much. You have to constantly take the others in your platoon into account. And that is quite difficult,” says Arne Zoete, 6th year Defense and Security SiVi-Torhout.

Defense will grow in the coming years. The Lombardsijde quarter is also expanding. There appears to be a future for people who love the military.