3.2.1 Switzerland: Military service
Description
This article is from the Switzerland FAQ, by Marc Schaefer schaefer@alphanet.ch with numerous contributions by others.
3.2.1 Switzerland: Military service
Military service is compulsory for every male Swiss. There is no
civil service to substitute armed service (this was refused two times
in a vote). Every male Swiss citizen has to go to the army unless
physically or mentally handicapped or unless he can "prove" to a jury
of officers that he has sound religious reasons for refusing to do
service (Barras Law).
In rare cases, unarmed military service (e.g. medical or postal units)
is available for conscience reasons. Conscientious objectors are put
in prison. This fact has led to several citations of Switzerland by
the Human Rights Court in Strasbourg, with little avail. For that
reason, objectors often try to circumvent military service citing
medical reasons. If declared unable for service, a citizen must serve
on the civil protection (similar to a fire brigade, however it is
separate from it and is only necessary in case of war, natural disaster
(floods, storms, avalanches) or industrial (chemical/nuclear)
incidents) and pay a military substitute tax (3% of total gross income).
Every soldier keeps his military outfit, his weapon, and war ammunition
at home at all times. The ammunition is sealed. The weapon can be used
for compulsory and voluntary shooting exercises, which are quite
popular (also drawing large female participation). The ammunition shall
only be opened in case of war.
After a basic (Academy) training of 100 days at about age 20, active
service requires 3 weeks long training courses approximately every
other year (or two weeks per year, depending on the affiliation) until
the soldier has served a total of 300 days. In addition, every
soldier must complete yearly shooting exercises, usually done in local
shooting ranges.
After completion of the basic training, a soldier can volunteer or can
be asked (and sometimes forced by law!) to become a non-commissioned
officer (corporal) and then officer. This costs a lot of time in
grade-``paying'' (one must do special schools and then redo a basic
training as corporal or officer). All military personnel (including
the Corps Commander, the highest ranking officer in peacetime) started
as private soldiers in Switzerland's militia army.
The Swiss army has approximately 400,000 soldiers (compared to 600,000
in Germany, a 15 times bigger country).
Women can join the military voluntarily. Their duties are often not
the same, but lately their chores can be almost everything except what
would be considered a direct exposure to the front in case of war.
A soldier (basically every male under 35) who leaves the country for a
period longer that 6 months, has to take leave from the army, must
deposit his military equipment and has to register with the embassy
abroad, and pay the military fee for three (or 5 ??) years.
In 1989 a left-wing/pacifist (not officially supported by the
social-democratic party, this party having officially stated for the
army in June 1989.) initiative led to a popular vote (this means a
vote by the people. Of course this vote WAS popular, too :-)) to
abolish the army. The initiative was rejected by 64.4% against 35.6%
of the votes. Other anti-military initiatives are in preparation
(e.g. for cutting the military budget in half, this one supported by
the social-democratic party). The 1989 vote made the Armee 95
military reform easier: this reform's goals were to reduce the
individual service period, diminish the number of active soldiers by
one third, and improve the technical equipment. Also this vote
probably changed the way Swiss people see the Military.
Note that the right-wing and center-right parties consider the
social-democratic party's attitude as duplicity (not supporting the
Army but being part of the government in the so-called ``Magic
Formula''), with more or less demagogy (because on other subjects,
like EC, those parties also experience internal ``divergences'').
There is a heated debate in Switzerland on the following topics:
o Role of the military (defense against whom, role in national union)
o Humanitarian missions of the military
o Use for UNO missions (this has been specifically rejected in
a vote in 1995)
o Professionalization of the military (i.e. no more compulsory service)
Some French-speaking Cantons (mainly Geneva) are critical of
the military; most others (including Tessin, most French-speaking and
all Swiss-German) are not against it but would like to see it
reformed. The way it should evolve is not quite clear. The
French-speaking Swiss would like the military to help the UNO and be
humanitarian. On the whole, the (majority of) Swiss-Germans dislike
the UNO but are not against the other proposition. The (majority of)
French-speaking Swiss are in support of a professional military; the
Swiss-Germans usually think that this would cost too much and that the
integrative role the military service plays would disappear.
The military tax (depending on your income) is to be paid for every
year that you are prevented from attending a course. It is refunded as
soon as you keep up with the number of courses you have to do,
PROVIDED YOU ASK FOR IT, of course :-)
You keep your weapons till your military service is _OVER_ which means
not only your annual/bisannual courses are over, but also you are
freed from military service (around 42 nowadays I think).
You can keep it further provided:
- you did all the annual shootings even the non-compulsory ones
- you did at least one two-days gun course in the last year.
Ammution HAS to be returned when military service is over. The
equipment (also the weapon) can be deposited free of charge in the
Zeughaus/arsenal as long as you do not have any more compulsory
courses OR if you live in a foreign country.
People leaving in foreign countries must deposit their material
at an Arsenal (Zeughaus) and must still pay the tax. They are
dispendedd after 3 years.
Military post is free up to 2 kilograms during service, and outside
service for official requests. Most courses are during the week
and week-end is free (except if something must be guarded).
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