Editing Latvian National Armed Forces (section)

==Personnel==
[[File:Bastille Day 2014 Paris - Color guards 015.jpg|thumb|188x188px|[[Latvian Land Forces|Latvian Army]] [[Staff Battalion (Latvia)|Staff Battalion]] color guard at [[Bastille Day military parade]], 2014]]
{{See also|Ranks and insignia of the Latvian National Armed Forces}}
Latvian National Armed Forces consist of the Regular Force, National Guard and Reserve. On January 1, 2007, conscription was abolished and since then the Regular Force consists of only professional soldiers. Recruits must be 18 years of age or older. As of June 2018, there were 5500 active duty soldiers, 8000 national guards.<ref name=":0"/> By the end of 2017, there were 7900 registered reserve soldiers, of whom about 5000 were retired professional soldiers. According to the National Defence Concept, the National Armed Forces are to maintain 25000 militarily trained personnel, including 6500 professional soldiers, 8005 National Guards and 3010 (trained) reserve soldiers. Reserve training began in 2015.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Īvāns |first1=Ansis |title='2% no IKP: Kā mūs aizsargās?' No 8 tūkstošiem rezerves karavīru trīs gados iemaņas atjaunojuši 357 |url=http://www.delfi.lv/news/national/politics/2-no-ikp-ka-mus-aizsargas-no-8-tukstosiem-rezerves-karaviru-tris-gados-iemanas-atjaunojusi-357.d?id=49555249 |website=www.delfi.lv |publisher=DELFI.lv |access-date=6 August 2018 |language=lv |date=20 December 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The National Defence Concept |url=http://www.mod.gov.lv/~/media/AM/Par_aizsardzibas_nozari/Plani,%20koncepcijas/2016/AIMVAK_260516_EN_2.0.ashx |website=www.mod.gov.lv |access-date=6 August 2018 |location=Riga |date=2016}}</ref>

=== Conscription ===
On April 5, 2023, Latvia decided to re-introduce compulsory national defense service in response to the ongoing [[Russian invasion of Ukraine|Russian invasion in Ukraine]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Latvia reintroduces compulsory military service – DW – 04/07/2023 |url=https://www.dw.com/en/latvia-with-the-war-in-ukraine-conscription-returns/a-65257169 |access-date=2023-04-12 |website=dw.com |language=en}}</ref> Conscripted personnel will have to serve in the Latvian National Armed Forces for at least 11 months.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.fpri.org/article/2024/05/the-first-year-of-conscription-in-latvia/ | title=The First Year of Conscription in Latvia - Foreign Policy Research Institute }}</ref>

The first voluntary conscription began on July 1, 2023, and volunteers had to apply by May 15, 2023. The law foresees two types of service: military and alternative (civil service). Males born after January 1, 2004, are subject to mandatory service, while males and females aged 18 to 27 can apply voluntarily. The law exempts certain individuals, including those whose health status does not comply with service requirements, sole guardians of children, sole caretakers of dependents, and those who have served in a different country if they have dual citizenship.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Compulsory military service to be re-introduced in Latvia |url=https://eng.lsm.lv/article/society/defense/05.04.2023-compulsory-military-service-to-be-re-introduced-in-latvia.a503763/ |access-date=2023-04-12 |website=eng.lsm.lv |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":2" /> 

During the autumn conscription of 2023, as of 14 November, only 170 people volunteered for service, which means that to reach a thousand by 1 December 2023, it became necessary to use the principle of random selection for the autumn draft in order to recruit the required number of people.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Всего 170 добровольцев: в третий призыв в армию могут начать призывать и тех, кто не хочет |url=https://rus.delfi.lv/57860/latvia/56106082/vsego-170-dobrovolcev-v-tretiy-prizyv-v-armiyu-mogut-nachat-prizyvat-i-teh-kto-ne-hochet |access-date=2023-11-14 |website=rus.delfi.lv |language=ru}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.politico.eu/article/latvia-defense-minister-women-conscription-russia-ukraine-war/ | title=Latvia's defense minister wants to conscript women by 2028 | date=27 August 2024 }}</ref>

On 27 August 2024, Latvian defense minister [[Andris Sprūds]] announced plans to conscript women into the armed forces by 2028.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.politico.eu/article/latvia-defense-minister-women-conscription-russia-ukraine-war/ | title=Latvia's defense minister wants to conscript women by 2028 | date=27 August 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://babel.ua/en/news/112380-latvia-may-oblige-women-to-serve-in-the-army-from-2028 | title=Latvia may oblige women to serve in the army from 2028 | date=6 November 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://en.apa.az/europe/latvias-defense-minister-wants-to-conscript-women-by-2028-446379 | title=Latvia's defense minister wants to conscript women by 2028 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://united24media.com/latest-news/latvian-defense-minister-backs-mandatory-conscription-for-women-by-2028-3559 | title=Latvian Defense Minister Backs Mandatory Conscription for Women by 2028 | date=6 November 2024 }}</ref>