Youth Lose Interest in Mandatory Military Service

The number of young people interested in performing National Military Service (NMS) has been steadily declining each year. This mandatory service, required for men upon reaching adulthood and now also open to women, is seeing fewer and fewer applicants.

Ociel González González, the General Secretary of the Municipality of Cozumel, where the application process for this service is conducted, noted that the number of applications has been dropping annually. He reported that the number of applications from Cozumel's youth does not exceed approximately 160.

"Last year, we ended the period with 147 applications," González González said. "The application period opens after the first two weeks of January and ends in mid-October."

González González suggested that the dwindling interest in the NMS among the youth population could be partly due to a lack of information. Many are unaware of its mandatory nature for certain procedures or jobs, including political roles. There are also misconceptions about the nature of the service, with some believing it to be an unpleasant experience.

However, González González emphasized that the NMS is an opportunity for personal growth and learning. It aims to instill military discipline in the civilian population and share knowledge, thereby strengthening values, attitudes, behaviors, and improving the quality of citizens.