Cambodia Inducts First 5,000 Conscripts in Historic Military Recruitment Drive

Résumé détaillé

Cambodia has begun its first-ever military conscription program, inducting 5,000 young recruits into the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces ...

PHNOM PENH — Cambodia has begun its first-ever military conscription program, inducting 5,000 young recruits into the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) as the government moves to strengthen national defense and expand its military ranks.

Prime Minister Hun Manet presided over the opening ceremony on November 9 at Island-Coastal Command Military Training School, marking a historic milestone for the country’s armed forces on the 73rd anniversary of Cambodia’s Independence Day. The government plans to recruit 10,000 personnel in 2026 through two intakes of 5,000 each.

Of the first 5,000 recruits, 1,000 will undergo training at the training school, while the remaining personnel will be assigned to other training units, according to the Military Service Commission.

The first intake was selected from more than 15,000 applicants who registered during the initial recruitment campaign in October.

Hun Manet described the recruits as an important foundation for national defense, expressing hope that the inaugural training program would establish standards for future intakes.

Under the Military Service Law, Cambodian men aged 18 to 25 who are drafted must complete 24 months of military service, while women may enlist voluntarily. The legislation was updated in May 2026.

The two-year commitment comprises three months of initial training, followed by 21 months of military service. Recruits will receive physical conditioning and tactical instruction, as well as specialized training in infantry combat, armored warfare, air defense, engineering, intelligence, logistics and other military disciplines.

Hun Manet urged the recruits to regard their service not as lost time but as an investment in their personal development and future careers.

“Do not view this as spending two years of your life; rather, consider it an investment of two years,” he said.

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