Dutch State Secretary for Defence, Gijs Tuinman, told MPs on Monday that the ministry will send a voluntary survey to all residents aged 18 to 27 to gauge interest in joining the military.
The initiative is part of a broader strategy to expand the armed forces to at least 100,000 personnel by 2030. Tuinman emphasized that the move was not a return to compulsory service, which ended in 1997. Instead, the survey aims to inform young people and help match their skills with military roles.
"The need for rapid availability of such a force has been evident since Russia invaded Ukraine," he said. Currently, the Dutch military includes about 75,000 personnel, including 8,000 reservists.
