Joining the Armed Forces is a great option for those people, who wish to serve Spain and ensure the welfare of society. The truth is that it is a quite demanding profession both physically and mentally, hence it is a job with a great vocational load. Apart from this, a good soldier must have a series of qualities and values such as solidarity or commitment, which help them to carry out their work in an optimal way.
In the following article we will tell you the requirements that a person must have to be a military and the necessary tests to access said job.
Branches of the Spanish Armed Forces
The Spanish Armed Forces are made up of the Army, the Air Force and the Navy. The objective and purpose of such forces is to guarantee the sovereignty and independence of Spain together with the defense of all its territory and the ordering of the Constitution. The Armed Forces work under the direction of the Ministry of Defence.
Armed Forces scales
The army is divided into different scales. They will determine the different professional faculties of the military in relation to the preparation they have received. There are three well-defined types of scales:
- The officer ladder. The officers are those who are in command of the different armed forces. Their level of training is quite high and they have great leadership skills along with problem solving.
- NCO scale. This is the second scale within the Armed Forces. The function of the non-commissioned officers is to enforce the orders received from the officers.
- Troop and Seamanship scale. It is the base of the armed forces and is made up of soldiers and sailors. They are obliged to comply with the orders of their superiors and ensure the safety of citizens.
Studies necessary to be military
If you have made the decision to be a soldier, you must present yourself to the oppositions convened every year by the Ministry of Defense. You can opt for the Troop and Marine Corps, the Officer Corps, the Non-Commissioned Officer Corps or as a reservist.
If your goal is to become part of the Troop and Marine Corps, you must have a minimum of graduate studies in Secondary Education. The selection process consists of a series of phases:
First phase
In this phase, general merits such as knowledge of English or driving license will be taken into account together with some academic merits such as the title of graduate in ESO and some military merits as rewards.
In addition to this, applicants must take a psychotechnical test in order to assess a series of aptitudes such as verbal, memory or mechanical. The psychometric test includes the following:
- Reading comprehension exercises.
- Spelling exercises.
- Synonymy and antonymy exercises.
- Numerical logic exercises.
- Exercises on mechanics and basic physics.
- Exercises on perception.
- Memory exercises.
- Exercises on abstract reasoning.
Second stage
In this second phase, applicants must pass a medical examination along with a personality and fitness test:
- The personality test is used to assess whether the person is suitable for being in the chosen position and to rule out possible psychological disorders.
- In the physical aptitude test, the different applicants must pass several tests such as the long jump or roundtrips.
Qualities that people who aspire to be in the military should have
A good soldier for the good performance of his different functions should have a series of qualities together with a series of values:
- Commitment to defend their country and citizens. This is an essential quality when it comes to perfectly fulfilling the different military missions.
- Discipline to abide by the different orders received from superiors.
- Solidarity with colleagues and act with certain principles such as integrity, transparency and total dedication to service.
- Spirit of self-improvement when it comes to achieving the different professional objectives and to act with great efficiency in those most hostile and complicated environments.
In short, being part of the Armed Forces is not an easy and simple path, since it requires a great dedication apart from an enormous perseverance. In addition to this, it is a fairly vocational job, so it is important that you like everything related to the military field. Remember that it is also important to have a series of qualities and values when it comes to complying in the best possible way. If your dream is to enter the Army, do not hesitate to face the different entrance tests and make that dream come true.