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Army service prestige increase considerably in past 5 years — deputy defense minister

The times when an officer was unwilling to be seen wearing a uniform are gone, Ruslan Tsalikov said

© Sergei Savostianov/TASS

MOSCOW, September 1. /TASS/. The prestige of army service has considerably augmented in Russia in the past five years, Russian First Deputy Defense Minister Ruslan Tsalikov said on Friday.

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"Over the past five years, he have traveled a gigantic path, first of all, in terms of society’s attitude to the Armed Forces. We have managed to regain the respect they are worth of. The times when an officer was unwilling to be seen wearing a uniform are gone," he said at a traditional September 1 lecture at the Military University.

"You have chosen to dedicate yourself to the service to the motherland. On the Day of Knowledge, I would like to repeat the words of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu that this is one of the most important and lofty occupation," he said.

Among the measures adding to the popularity of career army service, he cited easier terms of housing allocation. According to Tsalikov, some 20,000 servicemen annually join the mortgage program for the military. "It is very important for us to create equally comfortable living conditions for the military no matter where they serve, either in the capital city or in Kamchatka," he said. "Now we can say that the housing problem is not that acute but, nevertheless, it needs keen attention."

This year, the Military University enrolled students to classes in seven disciplines, including military journalism. The competition was 3.8 persons per one seat for boys and 14 persons - for girls.

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