Smartly dressed soldiers were let loose on beaches near Rome on Thursday, in a bid to drum up new recruits among young Italians soaking up the sun. The move, part of a summer-long recruiting campaign in
Italian coastal resorts, is aimed at overturning preconceptions about the armed forces and painting them in a youthful, upbeat light.
"An activity such as this would have been inconceivable a few years ago," said Defence Undersecretary Marco Verzaschi, who attended the initiative at the beach of Ostia, a few kilometres outside Rome.
"The army has come out of the barracks to open itself up to society. Older soldiers no longer have traditional privileges over new recruits, and the army's activities are very different from in the past".
The seaside recruiting campaign, which wraps up on September 13, has proved a hit so far.
Over 2,000 youths have supplied their names and details following an initial chat, and will be contacted in coming weeks for a more in-depth discussion on what enlisting entails.
Francesco and Veronica, two of the soldiers at Ostia, explained to the press what they tell interested youngsters. "We explain to them that the army tries to give each person the professional role best suited to his or her aspirations, aptitudes and any work experience they may
have," said Francesco. "We also reassure them that if their duties don't satisfy them, they can always change".
Veronica added that there had been "a great deal of interest".
"They want to know everything: what people do on a mission, what army corps they can enter and how to go about it. So many are interested and it's the same everywhere we go". Despite the new recruiting drive, the Italian army is not short of personnel.
Since January, it has received 100,000 applications for 20,000 year-long trial positions, while 28,500 people have applied for 136 officer training posts. Army conscription was phased out on December 31, 2004 after 164 years.
The move, which received backing from across the political spectrum, was aimed at reviving morale, boosting professionalism within the armed forces and reflecting altered attitudes in society. A defence ministry poll found that 50% of Italians saw the draft as a simple waste of time.
But it was also prompted by a swiftly changing international scenario, which encouraged the ministry to move the project forward by two years.
"Terrorism, rather than war, is now the main danger we face," said the defence minister at the time, Antonio Martino. "You can't send people with only ten months' military experience who are serving against their will on dangerous foreign missions".
