THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The Dutch military has got a new high-profile volunteer as it seeks to boost recruitment to counter growing fears about peace and security in Europe.<\/p>\n
Queen M\u00e1xima, the 54-year-old Argentinean-born wife of King Willem-Alexander, started training this week to become a reserve member of her adopted homeland’s army as the Dutch military seeks to boost enlistment amid geopolitical turmoil and Russia’s war in Ukraine<\/a> on Europe’s eastern edge.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause the security of the Netherlands can no longer be taken for granted, M\u00e1xima has decided to become a reservist,\u201d the Ministry of Defense said in a statement after she began training on Wednesday.<\/p>\n The Royal House issued a statement saying that the queen, \u201clike many others, wants to make a contribution to that security.\u201d<\/p>\n M\u00e1xima is following her own daughter into the military. Crown Princess Amalia, the heir to the Dutch throne, completed her basic military training last month as a volunteer reservist in the army.<\/p>\n Royals across Europe have a tradition of enlisting. Five years ago, Princess Elisabeth, the heir to the Belgian throne, signed up to do a year in military school in Brussels to help her prepare for her royal duties. Her father, King Philippe, also attended the Royal Military School in central Brussels.<\/p>\n The incoming Dutch coalition government that is expected to be sworn in later this month has unveiled plans to boost the nation’s military to 122,000 staff. Ministry of Defense spokesperson Klaas Meijer said Thursday it is currently at 80,000 including military personnel, civilians and reservists like M\u00e1xima.<\/p>\n He said enlisting was M\u00e1xima\u2019s choice, \u201cbut we are of course very proud that she is doing this and hope that other people will think, \u2018hey, this is something I could do.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n A series of photos taken by a defense ministry photographer as M\u00e1xima started training at a military academy in the city of Breda were released Wednesday by the House of Orange. In one, M\u00e1xima, her left eye squeezed shut, grips a pistol in both hands as she takes aim. In another, she\u2019s hanging onto a rope in front of a rock climbing wall. Another snap shows M\u00e1xima, barefoot, wearing green overalls and blacked-out ski goggles jumping into a swimming pool.<\/p>\n The defense ministry says her training will comprise \u201call the practical and theoretical military components necessary to become a reservist. These include physical resilience, self-defense, marksmanship, map reading, and military law.\u201d<\/p>\n Once the queen has completed her training, she will be given the rank of lieutenant-colonel and will \u201cdeploy wherever needed,\u201d the Royal House statement said. Reservists are generally deployed for tasks in the Netherlands, but have occasionally also been sent overseas on a voluntary basis, said ministry spokesperson Meijer.<\/p>\n The Netherlands is not alone in seeking to beef up its defenses against a backdrop of Russia’s war against Ukraine and U.S. reservations about the NATO alliance.<\/a> The incoming government plans to introduce what it calls a \u201cfreedom contribution\u201d for citizens and businesses to help foot the growing military bill.<\/p>\n Lawmakers in European powerhouse Germany have approved a government plan to attract more military recruits as the country tries to boost the ranks<\/a> of its armed forces in the face of rising concern about the threat posed by Russia.<\/p>\n France unveiled a new program in November that is meant to bolster the country\u2019s armed forces<\/a> by training thousands of volunteers aged 18 and 19. The program will start with 3,000 volunteers to be selected next summer and will gradually increase to 10,000 per year by 2030. France has ambitions to reach up to 50,000 volunteers per year by 2035.<\/p>\n At a Paris naval conference this week, the Dutch navy chief, Vice Admiral Harold Liebregs, and counterparts from the U.K. and U.S. spoke of success in boosting recruitment and retention of much-needed personnel \u2014 in part because of growing concerns about threats to Europe\u2019s security.<\/p>\n \u201cSomething happened in Europe. We have been struggling with shortages of personnel for a couple of years but now for the first time in years we see that (the) retention rate is pretty OK,\u201d Liebregs said. \u201cRecruitment and influx is also picking up \u2026 People are really willing to join the navy.\u201d<\/p>\n He attributed the turnaround in part to the introduction of a program that enables volunteers to join the armed forces for one year, giving them a first taste of service and initial training.<\/p>\n Last year, Denmark<\/a> sought to increase the number of young people in the military by extending compulsory enlistment to women for the first time. Men and women can both still volunteer, and the remaining places will be filled by a gender-neutral draft lottery.<\/p>\n And Dutch neighbor Belgium has just reactivated two military brigades<\/a> as part of a wider drive to boost defenses.<\/p>\n