2003 IMTA Proceedings - International Military Testing Association

306
OCCUPATIONAL ANALYSIS APPLIED FOR THE PURPOSE OF
DEFINING OF SELECTION CRITERIA FOR NEW MILITARY
OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTIES IN THE ARMED FORCES OF THE
REPUBLIC OF CROATIA
Tomislav Filjak, Ingrid Cippico, Nada Debač, Goran Tišlarić, Krešimir Zebec
MINISTRY OF DEFENCE OF THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA
Stančićeva 6, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia
INTRODUCTION
Croatian armed force came into existence with the Croatia’s fight for independence in
1991; a war-time military was following the war no longer corresponded with the new
security environment of the Republic of Croatia. In 1996 thus Croatian Armed Forces
underwent a first re-organisation, which still did not accommodate new exigencies. Therefore,
early in 2000 a new, radical reform, entailing major cuts, was launched and is still under way.
Its extent is best illustrated by the reduction figures: from 50 000 members in the late 2002 to
the projected 22000 active personnel (plus 4000 conscripts and 3000 civilian employees) by
the year 2005. The Armed Forces, as envisaged, are to be manned by career personnel (as
much as 80%). Moreover, a new national security strategy and defence strategy envisage new
missions for Croatian Armed Forces, among which participation in international operations
(Croatian observers in the UN mission in Sierra Leone, Ethiopia and Erithrea, Western
Sahara, Kashmir and the ISAF).
The re-organisation and re-assignment entails a new military specialties structure to
match the reduced manpower, career military and altered military duties.
EXIGENCIES FOR NEW SPECIALTIES
War-time Croatian military was a large force compared to the overall population, and
at one moment comprised 240 000. It had been organised for traditional warfare and its very
diverse specialties structure (e.g. 260 soldier specialties ) corresponded to that aim. It could
not allow career military and development of new capabilities. A number of previous
specialties disappeared naturally, and others altered as a result of changing military even
before the re-organisation project. In order to match the specialties system with the military
exigencies, well-defined criteria have been set for the new specialties.
The exigencies for the new system were as follows:
- reduced number of specialties (compared to the prior situation)
- entry to a specialty is achieved in the enlisted soldier or officer status (NCo status
is excluded as NCOs develop from enlisted soldiers)
- 14-week hands-on training (enlisted soldiers)
- less specialised duties (increased number of duties contained in a single specialty)
- compatibility with the NATO system of specialties and classification
45 th Annual Conference of the International Military Testing Association
Pensacola, Florida, 3-6 November 2003