Types of Professional Military Service
Under the Military Service Code, professional military service is of two types: contractual — a voluntary, fixed-term military service based on a contract — and non-contractual — indefinite military service. Contractual service includes servicemen holding the ranks of private, first-class private, corporal, corporal-specialist, junior sergeant, sergeant, senior sergeant, master sergeant, chief sergeant, lieutenant, senior lieutenant, and captain. Non-contractual service comprises those holding the ranks of major, lieutenant colonel, colonel, brigadier general, major general, lieutenant general, and general. A serviceman of contractual service signs a contract to perform professional military service, and the form of the contract is approved by the Minister.
Admission Conditions and Selection
Professional military service is entered by a citizen of Georgia who is at least eighteen years of age, knows the state language, and meets the requirements of Georgian legislation. The maximum age for admission to contractual service may be set by a normative act of the Minister, and the admission procedure and the documents to be submitted are likewise determined by the Minister’s normative act. Before admission, the person undergoes selection — physical, medical, psychological, and special examinations, and in predetermined cases an interview as well.
After successful selection, the person is appointed to the relevant position and, in cases determined by an individual administrative-legal act of the Minister, undergoes an initial combat training course; upon successful completion, he or she continues service for the term fixed by the contract. The conduct of the initial training course is regulated by the Minister’s legal act, so the sequence from selection to contract is fully determined by subordinate legislation, and errors at any stage affect the lawfulness of what follows.
Term of Service and Age Limits
The term of service connected with contractual military service is determined by the contract concluded with the serviceman. Age limits are differentiated by composition: forty-five years for privates, fifty for corporals and sergeants other than the chief sergeant, fifty-five for the chief sergeant, forty-five for junior officers, fifty for senior officers other than a colonel, fifty-five for a colonel, and sixty for senior officers. The age limit may be extended by up to five years, the extension being granted by the Minister upon the recommendation of the Commander of the Defense Forces, while the age limit of the Commander is extended by decision of the Minister.
Initial Training and Conclusion of the Contract
The path of contractual service consists of several consecutive stages: a prepared application by the citizen with the documentation required by the legislation, the selection stage with its examinations, appointment to a position according to the results, in defined cases the initial combat training course, and finally the conclusion of the contract. The contract is precisely the end point of this chain: it is concluded with a person who has lawfully passed the preceding stages, and its content, together with the term of service, determines other conditions of the serviceman’s service.
The law draws an unequivocal rank boundary between the two service regimes: ranks up to and including captain belong to contractual service, and from major upward to non-contractual service. This determination is practical: in planning a career, the relation of rank to both the regime and the age limit must be taken into account directly, because the term of the contract and the prospects of its extension are tied precisely to these regimes. A serviceman of non-contractual service may likewise be given a contract — in that case it serves the purpose of granting a privilege or determining an obligation and does not alter the indefinite character of the service. The name of the document alone is therefore not enough: its content and the purpose for which it was concluded are decisive.
The Significance of the Selection Stage
The selection stage is legally as significant as the appointment itself: under the law, before admission the person undergoes selection through physical, medical, psychological, and special examinations and, in predetermined cases, an interview, while the selection criteria are determined by a legal act of the Minister. Consequently, when a decision based on the results of selection is challenged, it is precisely these criteria and their correct application that become the subject of assessment, and legal assistance at the early stage of the dispute yields the best result.
Frequently Asked Questions about Military Service Contracts
What is the minimum age of admission?
A citizen of Georgia at least eighteen years of age who knows the state language.
Which examinations are conducted?
Physical, medical, psychological, and special examinations, and in defined cases an interview.
What is the age limit?
From forty-five to sixty years depending on the composition, extendable by up to five years.
What happens after selection?
Appointment to a position, in defined cases an initial combat training course, and continuation of service under the contract.
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The legal specialists working on Legal.ge assist with military service matters: we analyze contract terms, selection and appointment decisions, age-limit extension issues, and represent your interests at every stage of a dispute. Contact us through the Legal.ge website.