Security Culture As Precondition for Sustainable Development of Military Reserve Force: The Case of Slovenia

Since its independence and own Armed forces organizing 26 years ago, Slovenian society has been facing with tremendous changes and challenges how to fulfill military units and organize recruitment and retention as well. Beginning with military conscription pulling its roots in Yugoslav total defense system which ensured wide broad base of citizens’ readiness for serving in the military, the next decade brought very fast Nato integration and rush transition into all volunteer force. Consequently, the population dealt with military and national security matters has dropped down to 12.000 including police and law enforcement. But till the migration crisis in 2015 when more then 250.000 refugees crossed the country, there was no practical need for operative using of military reserve with exception of few reserve personnel served in international peace keeping (for instance in KFOR operation in Kosovo). Following economic crisis and austerity measures the military budget has been cut down for almost a half what has dramatically influenced military reserve training and recruitment and retention activities. As consequence during a period of migration crisis when Slovenian armed forces have been tried to mobilize their reserve forces for border protection, the response was lower the 40%... This caused stormy reaction among political politics and professional public. Some of them suggested the establishment of national guard, the others wished to have renewal of military conscription. But nobody opened very complex and crucial issue, the issue of security culture, which supposed to be the only way, how to sustainably organize national security system in long-term. Therefore the intention is to present empirical quantitative and qualitative research, what are the trends in this particular matter and how the very alarming situation ought to be improved since in current period of economic recovery recruitment and retention results according to the plans continue to become strained