Military and Civilian Field–Related Factors in Estonian Reservists’ Military Service Readiness

• Date: 01 October 2021
• Published date: 01 October 2021
• Author: Taavi Laanepere,Kairi Kasearu
• DOI: 10.1177/0095327X20944093
• Subject Matter: Special Forum: The Distinctive Characteristics and Expanding Role of Military Reserves

2021, Vol. 47(4) 690 –709

Military and Civilian

Field–Related Factors

in Estonian Reservists’

Military Service

Readiness

Taavi Laanepere

1

and Kairi Kasearu

1

Abstract

The military service readiness of reserve soldiers is an essential question for

countries that rely mostly on reserve units for their defense or other operational

needs. This study examines how forms of capital related to the military and civilian

fields are associated with the military service readiness of reservists. Survey data

were obtained from 396 Estonian reservists during the 2018 Hedgehog exercise.

Reservists’ military service readiness (RMSR) was studied first with respect to

military field–related factors, and in the next phase civilian field linked factors are

included. In a military field, cultural, social, and symbolic capital have a positive

influence on RMSR. However, if civilian field–related social and economic capital is

included, some military capitals would lose their effect. Study outcomes are dis-

cussed considering Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of the forms of capital.

Keywords

reserve soldiers, service readiness, military field, civilian field, Bourdieu

1

Department of Applied Research, Estonian Military Academy, Tartu, Estonia

Corresponding Author:

Taavi Laanepere, Department of Applied Research, Estonian Military Academy, Riia 12, 51010 Tartu,

Estonia.

Email: laanepere@yahoo.com

Armed Forces & Society

ªThe Author(s) 2020

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DOI: 10.1177/0095327X20944093

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Laanepere and Kasearu 691

In the military, regulars, conscripts, and reservists can differ in motivation, political

commitment, and cohesion (Griffith, 2009). Reserve soldiers are moving continu-

ously between civilian and military fields as transmigrants (Lomsky-Feder et al.,

2008). The transmigration concept can also be viewed through Bourdieu’s concept

of the field, habitus, and capitals. Reservists move as transmigrants between the

military and civilian fields, where different capitals have different values and com-

peting fields would test the flexibility of habitus. In a system such as Estonia’s,

based on compulsory conscription and a reserve service, reserve soldiers have to

maintain linkage with their military capitals and habitus in order for them to succeed

during their reserve service.

Estonia’s defense is based on deterrence, aimed at convincing possible aggressors

that losses resulting from an attack would outweigh the possible benefits. According

to the National Security Concept of Estonia, the broad-based security concept is

implemented, and efforts of the whole country are applied to ensure Estonia’s

security in the event of a military threat. Therefore, national defense has a scope

that extends beyond military defense and which also involves international activi-

ties, civil sector support for military national defense, psychological defense, ensur-

ing domestic security, and the consistence of vital services—regardless of the threat

scenario (National Security Concept, 2017). The military defense of Estonia itself is

based on initial self-defense capability, relying largely on reserve units as well as

membership in North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The initial defense

capability forms a military force that supports the activation of NATO’s collective

defense mechanism. To make the mobilization system of that military force more

efficient, reservist training and additional short-notice reservist training assemblies

are held regularly. The wartime structure of the Estonian Defence Forces (EDF) is

comprised of active-duty personnel, reservists, and members of the Defence League.

EDF derives its strength mainly from th e reserve units that consist of men and

women who have completed compulsory military service. By law, the duration of

conscription is between 8 and 11 months, depending on the conscript’s speciality

and position. Male citizens can be called up from the age of 17 until the age of 27

(Military Service Act, 2012). Since 2013, women can also apply for defense duty on

a voluntary basis.

The security situation in Eastern Europe has prompted new d evelopments of

military activities in the Baltic and Nordic regions and boosted defense cooperation

in Europe. To address the security concerns of Eastern Europe, the ruling govern-

ments of the NATO member countries have committed themselves to the Readiness

Action Plan at the 2016 NATO Warsaw summit. This was done in order to enhance

the collective defense and strengthen deterrence measures on NATO’s eastern bor-

der. As some countries in Europe, such as Sweden and Lithuania, have restored

conscription and some others are considering various forms of conscription, the

importance of reservists’ service readiness in Europe is most likely rising. For

countries relying mainly on reserve units for their primary defense, the

knowledge-based information about factors influencing the service readiness of

2Armed Forces & Society XX(X)