From the moment a person picked up a stick, he realized that with its help much can be achieved. Therefore, often people try to achieve their goals through the use of violence against their own kind. In this case, we are talking about the origin of martial art, which man honed throughout the entire process of his evolution. If you study all of human history in detail, it becomes clear that it consists largely of wars. People cannot live permanently in peace and harmony. Some must dominate others - this is the law. Today it is difficult to imagine any country without an army. All states are trying to overtake each other in terms of weapons. Along with the armament itself, military service is developing substantially, especially recently. This field of activity has always been respected, especially among men. In the 21st century, military service has become even more significant because the very principles of warfare are changing. Thus, in the article we will try to reveal all aspects of military activity, as well as answer the question of what it is.
Military service concept
Many people often wonder what military service is. On the one hand, the essence of this sphere of activity is extremely clear, on the other hand, it nevertheless carries some specific features. Military service is one of the types of state activity of citizens. This activity is carried out on a professional basis. Citizens hold positions in the armed forces, and also have special ranks. Military service has specific tasks and functions, the most important of which are the defense and security of the state. It should be noted the fact that people who work in positions in the armed forces are not necessarily recognized as military personnel. If a military formation was created in accordance with existing legislation, service in it is also considered a military one.
Forms of military service
Military service in all countries of the world is built in completely different ways. It all depends on the continent, the specific country and the political situation. To date, the most popular is the contract service in the army. This is one of the types of professional approach to the organization of national defense. This form of military service has proven its effectiveness over time. As practice shows, soldiers working under contract in the army are more responsible for the service, which affects its direct implementation. As for the Russian Federation, then military service is carried out through universal military service. This form is very outdated, so many countries abandoned it after the end of the Cold War. A small professional army is much better than a draft army, even in wartime conditions. This fact is confirmed by the military conflicts that very often arise today.
The history of military service in Russia
If we examine in detail the history of our state, we can distinguish the stages of development of military service in parallel with the general historical development of the population. The founding time of the regular, state armed forces can rightfully be recognized in 1699, when Peter the Great actually created a fleet and an army. In those days, the term of recruitment was 25 years.
As the development of military service, this period decreased. The main problem of that time was the lack of a single regulatory act that would regulate the work of the armed forces as a whole. Today there is a Federal Law "On Military Service" that allows to streamline its activities.
After 1917, the principle of compulsory military service was enshrined in the first constitution of the soviets. With the historical development of the USSR, military service has changed and evolved. This led to the fact that the Union had one of the most powerful armies in the world in the middle of the 20th century. Many who served in those days speak of a high level of training for soldiers of absolutely all structural echelons. After the collapse of the USSR, the “federal period” of the development of the army on the territory of Russia begins. He received not only a new name, but also found his own characteristics.
The federal period of the development of military service in Russia
Today, the military service of citizens in Russia is one of the types of public service. As mentioned earlier, it has a professional character. Citizens can serve in the Armed Forces of Russia, and more precisely in the structural units of this formation. According to the Federal Law “On Military Service”, persons who are in military service are military personnel. As a result of this, they are subject to laws and other regulatory legal acts governing activities in the field of state defense.
Legal basis of military service
Like other types of state activity, military service is regulated by a whole system of legal acts. Thus, the following state acts are legal documents regulating this sphere of activity:
- The federal law “On the status of military personnel”, “On military duty and military service”, “On the material liability of military personnel”. These legal acts best answer the question of what military service is.
- Decree of the President of the Russian Federation, which regulates the procedure for serving in the Armed Forces.
- Regulation on the implementation of military-technical cooperation of the Russian Federation with foreign states.
- Instruction on the procedure for organizing and conducting certification of military personnel.
In addition, the “root” normative act, which regulates public service in Russia in general, should be highlighted. A similar document is the Federal Law “On the Civil Service of the Russian Federation”.
Military status
The existing law on military service and other normative acts in this sphere of activity of citizens fix the specific legal status of military personnel. In accordance with the regulations that were presented above, the actual implementation of the legal regime of this activity is carried out. However, it should be noted that not everyone knows what this status implies. If we turn to the theory of law, then any legal regime is a set of rights and obligations of a particular subject. The problem is that there is no single law on military service that would list absolutely all the existing rights and obligations of soldiers. All that the author will present later in the article is just a systematic “collection” that helps to understand the legal status of civil servants of this type.
Duality of legal regime
The status of a soldier is not only fixed at the legislative level, but is actually protected by the state. But the essence of this legal regime is specific. Features can be traced in its duality, based on the division of existing rights and duties. In general, the entire array of rights, freedoms and duties of the military can be conditionally divided, referring to many factors. To date, there are two main circumstances of the separation of competencies:
- First of all, any soldier is a citizen of the state he serves. As a result, from birth he is endowed with an array of common rights and obligations that all citizens have, without exception. But to become a full-fledged soldier, fitness for military service is necessary. This fact determines the presence of a special subject in these relationships.
- The second circumstance is that the military is entrusted with the task of realizing specific functions for the defense of the state. Similar tasks must be performed in any conditions, regardless of the time of year or other factors. As we understand it, such circumstances pose a risk to human life and health. As a result, the regime of legal regulation of the activities of military personnel is supplemented by special competencies.
Thus, the legal regime that determines the functioning of the armed forces has its own internal features. With it, you can answer the question of what military service is.
Rights and obligations of the military
In accordance with the position and rank, each soldier has a lot of rights and duties, which, in turn, have their own specifics depending on the type of troops, units, etc. They allow you to implement the functions and tasks that are directly assigned to them.
It should be noted that the rights and obligations of military service are regulated not only by federal laws, but also by military charters, instructions, manuals, etc. A specific source for regulating the competencies of members of the armed forces is written instructions from direct commanders. There is an unofficial division of all rights and obligations into ordinary and special. The usual competencies are directly realized by the military under normal conditions of service, and more precisely in peacetime. Special rights and obligations arise during combat duty, military service, liquidation of natural disasters, in wartime.
Military staff
When a person becomes a soldier, his position in the system is determined by the following elements:
- position;
- the presence of a certain rank;
- Compliance with the staff of a military unit or other military authority.
The official staff is a document that determines the size of the body or part. In other words, the state is a description of the number of equipment, personnel and weapons of the unit. As for the military, they enter the state on the basis of their position. The latter is a set of rights, duties, functions and tasks that are inherent in a particular person. As a rule, a soldier occupies a particular position only if he is suitable for it according to the level of his professionalism and state of health (fitness for military service).
Military rank
Each military has a military rank. In the state civil service, analogs are ranks and class ranks. Military ranks correspond to the list of posts to which they relate. In other words, a soldier must hold the necessary position to receive a particular rank.
There are also special lists that list some positions that can be replaced by civilian personnel or female soldiers. Such posts exist due to the specifics of the work that they oblige to perform.
Conclusion
So, we tried to answer the question of what military service is. The features imputed to those engaged in specific state activities must be studied, since the state’s defense function is one of the highest priorities today. Of course, the sphere of defense requires constant reform, which cannot be carried out if we do not study in detail the specifics of the functioning of this industry in the Russian Federation.