Cyprus: Cabinet approves 400 contract NCO posts for National Guard contract soldiers

Cyprus’s Cabinet on Thursday, October 8 approved the recruitment of 400 contract non-commissioned officers (NCOs) from among the National Guard’s contract soldiers (SYOP), Cyprus Mail reports. Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas said the appointments will follow the ranking from a selection process that included written examinations, and will take effect from November.

Palmas described the step as “the continuation of a targeted reform” that strengthens the prospect of professional advancement and contributes “decisively” to the National Guard’s operational readiness. According to the Cabinet decision as reported by the Cypriot press, the new NCOs will be able to rise as far as the rank of staff sergeant (archilochias), on salary scale A8.

The SYOP reform

The reform bill was tabled in the House defence committee on February 26. It raised the maximum service age for SYOP from 42 to 57 and the entry age limit from 27 to 35, and set up the transition to contract NCO through written examinations. SYOP salaries moved from scale A1 to A2 and the monthly allowance was increased, with a higher amount for those serving in high-risk units such as the special forces (OYK) and the underwater demining team (MYK), as well as for medical personnel.

On July 3 the minister raised the number of NCO posts from the 250 first announced to 400, citing growing personnel needs and the defence programmes under the European Union’s SAFE mechanism. This week a new application round for SYOP opened, with about 700 vacancies and a deadline of October 23. The personnel build-up is linked to the modernisation displayed at the October 1 parade in Nicosia.