Dutch military wants to drop zero-tolerance policy amid massive expansion plans
The Ministry of Defense is ditching its zero-tolerance policy for certain misdemeanors, specifically drug use and drug possession, sources close to the Ministry told the Telegraaf. It is working on a new, more lenient policy to prevent soldiers from being summarily dismissed for relatively minor offenses.
The Ministry’s zero-tolerance policy is becoming restrictive as society changes and the armed forces face enormous growth challenges. Defense wants to grow its workforce from 80,000 to 100,000 by 2030, and eventually even to 200,000 people.
According to the Telegraaf’s sources, soldiers also find it unfair that they can be dismissed for relatively minor offenses while they sometimes find themselves in trouble after difficult deployments and are therefore more likely to cross the line.
So Defense is working on a more lenient policy where military personnel caught committing minor offenses will receive a warning, instead of summary dismissal. They would then be placed under supervision with an experienced colleague for a second chance and may be transferred to another role if the situation demands it. If they overstep again, they’ll be dismissed, the newspaper’s sources said.
The more lenient policy will not apply to sex crimes, serious crimes, or serious fraud. These will still be grounds for serious dismissal.
Expansion
The Ministry of Defense is running several campaigns to attract young personnel, including a service year, a working student program, and a new vocational training in Safety. The Armed Forces also recently launched a program for training reservists.
According to the Dutch employee insurance agency UWV, Defense should also recruit among young job seekers. It analyzed the job seekers under the age of 35 in its systems and found 19,000 who could contribute to the military.
The people in this broad group of job seekers have a background or interests that align with a role in Defense, especially in support roles in logistics, healthcare, and technology. “Think of construction crews for bridges and observation towers, mechanics for vehicle maintenance, nurses, and surgical assistants,” UWV researcher Stef Molleman told NOS.
In the Defense sector, these types or roles fall under support services for the armed forces. Many of these support roles allow you to do on-the-job training. The UWV considers that an advantage for this group of job seekers. It removes barriers, especially for the roles with little to no educational or experience requirements.
