They will serve for peace
"It would be very desirable if mothers could send their sons to the army rest assured that they would go, serve and come back safe and sound," said a woman who answered the survey conducted by "A1+" on Army Day in Yerevan.
The 40-year old woman said that the sense of defending the Homeland would be stronger if the soldiers who fought and won in the Karabakh war and their families were treated better and if they were provided with better conditions.
"There are often complaints that the family faces hardships due to lack of the father and are not able to secure a good life for their children."
But what if another war starts? "Armenians have the spirit of combat. They are freedom-loving and will go and fight again to defend the Homeland. There are beatings, massacres and even deaths, but parents would be more assured when sending their sons to the army should there not be any of that."
Most of the survey participants feel secure and consider the Armenian Army as powerful and developed. However, they don't exclude that youth do everything possible to avoid military service.
"Unfortunately, for some reasons, Armenian boys today don't want to serve in the army. But I think that there must be some changes in the legislation that will facilitate military service. There must also be the patriotic spirit, which is decreasing. I think we can overcome that," said one 26-year old girl. Her young friend said: "Let's hope that there will not be a war, but if there is a war, I will be the first to go to the army."
A man in his 60s saw the camera, approached and expressed his views on the army. "We have such a strong army that if Azerbaijan attacks us, we will seize Baku in a week. The Armenian nation has fought and will fight at the cost of blood."
A 40-year old man said that having an army is still not a guarantee for peace. "No army can be a guarantee for peace. The heads of state are the guarantee."
