In 2018, soldiers will return to the abandoned Rakovník barracks

Rakovník - Soldiers will return to the abandoned Rakovník barracks in 2018. "We are in a different security situation; we want to recruit more soldiers, we want to have a larger active reserve, and therefore we need the facilities that these barracks can provide us," Defense Minister Martin Stropnický said today to reporters during a visit to Rakovník. Mayor Pavel Jenšovský (ČSSD) welcomed this. The last soldiers left the Rakovník barracks last year.
    Jenšovský considers the return of soldiers ideal as it will revitalize the city and create job opportunities. There are eight buildings in the barracks complex that have been approved for residential use. There are warehouses, workshops for car repairs, a former dining hall, and a gym. The area covers over 38 hectares, of which approximately 3.3 hectares is built-up. Due to savings, the army disbanded the local engineering unit last January, so about 350 soldiers left the barracks.
    The army will retain the main and larger part of the barracks, including the training area, known as Dukla I; the smaller Dukla II will likely be sold. According to the zoning plan, businesses with light industrial production could be established here. According to Chief of the General Staff Josef Bečvář, there could be up to 600 soldiers in the barracks in 2018. "It will be a combination of different units," Bečvář noted. Currently, the army has 25 garrisons. In the Central Bohemia Region, there are in Brandýs nad Labem and Staré Boleslavi, in Jince and Čáslav.
    For Rakovník, according to the mayor, this will mean calming the situation, as residents were afraid that socially maladjusted people would move into the area. "This will also mean new job opportunities, opportunities for entrepreneurs and businesspeople, and the city will also be somewhat secured in the event of natural disasters," the mayor stated.
    In the coming years, the area will likely serve as a storage facility, for example, for equipment that is being replaced. There are several options, such as a small garrison taking care of the equipment, or soldiers from the so-called active reserve could train in the area. Currently, the army has 1,200 active reserve members, while it could officially have up to 2,500. In the future, it aims to increase that number to 5,000.
    The army originally planned to sell the barracks complex as unnecessary property, and in recent months, parts of it have already been appraised. The previous leadership of Rakovník also sought the return of soldiers to the barracks. Former mayor Zdeněk Nejdl (ODS) opposed the disbandment of the local garrison in recently renovated buildings and considered the decision incomprehensible.