Soldiers designated for the Border Guard will be trained in Rēzekne

Soldiers designated for the State Defense Service (VAD) will be trained in Rēzekne and sent to serve on the country's eastern border. Moreover, young people will be able to apply for the Border Guard's elite special operations unit "Sigma," the leadership of the Ministry of the Interior acknowledged to journalists today.

The Ministry of the Interior informed that the training of young people in the first phase will take place for one month at the bases of the National Armed Forces (NBS), after which training will follow at the State Border Guard College in Rēzekne.

After completing the training, VAD soldiers will proceed to a practical skills acquisition phase at one of the 15 Border Guard border protection units, participating in the protection of Latvia's green border to a limited extent. This means that service locations will be on the country's eastern border, rather than, for example, in Ventspils. "They will specialize specifically in monitoring the land border," emphasized the Chief of the State Border Guard, Guntis Pujāts.

The Ministry of the Interior emphasized that volunteers, just like in the army, will be able to choose their place of service.

Currently, the Ministry of the Interior has no concerns about a potential decrease in the number of volunteers because those serving in VAD will be directed to the eastern border, where illegal migration control must be ensured.

"I have heard the opposite, that many are very motivated to get involved in such work," emphasized Interior Minister Jānis Dombrava (NA), expressing confidence that this could be one of the elements why to choose VAD.

Pujāts also emphasized that the number of volunteers may actually increase.

To implement VAD in the State Border Guard in the next two years, it is necessary to ensure additional personnel, catering, and the development of priority infrastructure, including the development of barracks.