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Egypt Conscription and Reserves
The Constitution mandates conscription but provides a variety
of options for national service. Conscripts may be required to
serve either in the police force, the prison-guard service, or in
one of the military economic service units. In 1988 almost 12.5
million men were between the ages of fifteen and forty-nine. More
than 8 million of these men were considered fit for military
service. Although 519,000 men reached the draft age of twenty each
year, only about 80,000 of these men were conscripted to serve in
the armed forces. Women were not subject to conscription.
Volunteers earned considerably higher salaries and twice as
much leave time as conscripts. Those conscripts who chose to
reenlist were often among the less qualified. The result of this
situation was a scarcity of NCOs with the proper level of
proficiency. The navy and the air force had a smaller conscript-to-
volunteer ratio, but these branches of the military faced similar
problems. In all services senior NCOs could become candidates for
commissions after eight years of duty. These NCOs usually were
those with functional specialties who could qualify as warrant
officers.
Conscripts served three years of active duty after which they
remained in reserve for an additional period. Conscripts with
degrees from institutions of higher education had to serve only
eighteen months. The government required all males to register for
the draft when they reached age sixteen. The government delineated
several administrative zones for conscription purposes. Each zone
had a council of military officers, civil officials, and medical
officers who selected draftees. Local mayors and village leaders
also participated in the selection process. After the council
granted exemptions and deferments, it chose conscripts by lot from
the roster of remaining names. Individuals eligible to be inducted
were on call for three years. After that period, they could no
longer be drafted.
Although it was no longer possible for a prospective conscript
to pay a fee in lieu of service, he could still apply for an
exemption. Men employed in permanent government positions, sons
whose brothers had died in service, men employed in essential
industries, and family breadwinners were all eligible for
exemptions.
The military authorities did not give strong emphasis to
maintaining reserve forces. Foreign military observers believed
that the reserves would be of minimal value in the event of an
emergency. An estimated 335,000 men were in the reserves in the
early 1980s (300,000 army and ADF, 15,000 navy, and 20,000 air
force). The total was expected to decline to about 200,000 by the
early 1990s.
Data as of December 1990
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