YEREVAN, JANUARY 9, ARMENPRESS. The first conscripts of the winter draft began their service- the launch of the winter draft was given with some changes.

Defense Minister of Armenia Vigen Sargsyan and Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Movses Hakobyan visited the Central Recruitment Office of Yerevan on January 8 to monitor the process of drafting and wish the conscripts safe and peaceful service.

“Once again we admired the spirit, attitude and determination of the boys. We will do everything for them to feel the innovations and changes which were carried out in the Armed Forces”, Sargsyan stressed.

Speaking about innovations, the minister said the conscripts will from now on receive their gear and uniform in the Central Recruitment Office.

Movses Hakobyan mentioned the selection of the training base will be made until the selection of the main service base. “This is done so that we are able to dispatch better trained conscripts to military posts”. Hakobyan said according to the new order, conscripts will carry out military service only after completing the 6 month training.

The first group of conscripts of this year were drafted to military service in Gyumri also. The military commissariat of Gyumri organized the recruitment process from the “Mother Armenia” memorial, accompanied by music and dances, in order to maintain the high spirits of the young men.

“For this draft, even two Armenians living in Russia considered their duty to return to the Fatherland and service their country”, Colonel Gagik Khachatryan, military commissar of Gyumri told ARMENPRESS, adding that the drafting process proceeded normally, as expected.

Governor of Shirak Hovsep Simonyan, deputy mayor of Gyumri Vagharshak Mkhitaryan and Colonel Gagik Khachatryan were present in the “Mother Armenia” memorial and wished safe and peaceful service to the conscripts.