Growing up, more and more adults enter the age of those born between 1995 and 2012, the already celebrated generation of zeteks. It is frequently believed that their expectations and values are different from those previously recognised. This is simply a challenge for many institutions, including the army. Not only is the supply of fresh blood at stake, but besides the unique competence of young people.
Every decision the media convinces that Poles, especially young people, are alternatively skeptical about military duty. And not besides eager to defend Poland if war broke out. Is that the specifics of the Z generation, called the ego generation? Or are we asking the incorrect questions, and youths don't question duty, they just don't see themselves in conventional roles? possibly it's time to build a greater defence awareness for citizens and a strategy of universal defense, where everyone finds a place for themselves?
Appropriate balance
Let's start by figuring out what generation Z is. It is assumed that they were born between 1995 and 2012. Dr. Anna Chabasińska of the Jakub Academy of Law and safety from Paradyż in Gorzów Wielkopolski calls them "the first global generation formed by technology". – Zetki are sunk in this technological soup – confirms General Rajmund Andrzejczak, erstwhile Head of the General Staff of the Polish Army. During his tenure, the military began to look more closely at the Z generation. – They live so hard in the virtual planet that they neglect any of the competences essential to function in real reality. They have problems building relationships and not the best physical condition – adds Gen. Andrzejczak.
“The Z generation lives in a planet of dramatic changes: climate, cultural, safety related changes,” continues Dr. Chabasinska. He accepts this condition due to the fact that he doesn't know any another world. But it has consequences, due to the fact that since everything is there for a while and it can change, as technology reduces distance, zets request fast feedback. They can't be left unresponsive, they lose interest, they leave. In professional relationships and in large teams it is hard to meet the requirement. Especially since the zets want a servile leadership, in which the leader not only praises and blames himself, but mostly puts the good and improvement of the subordinates first," he explains. This “me” over “we” besides has a different face. – For young people of the generation Z values specified as solidarity or justice are important, but besides sacred peace is important. As a deficit, they value stability, invariability and mobility. Hundreds anticipate to work in their home, not to leave or commute. And they obsess over the balance between work and private life. Elders see it as comfort or even laziness," says Anna Chabasińska. What else? Zets don't have conventional authority. National heroes are no function model for them. Young ones of the generation of Z follow those who are like them, usually on their peers.
– This is the best educated generation in the past of Poland – says gene. Andrzejczak. – The first, where the percent of people with higher education is higher in women – 51%, than in men – 30%, emphasizes the erstwhile head of SGWP. It was from his inspiration at the Centre for Doctrines and Training of the Armed Forces that a investigation task was launched, which aimed at learning the attitudes and values of zetek. The study published in March 2025 gives optimism, as more than 2 thirds of respondents expressed their desire to engage – straight or indirectly – in the state's defence effort. 48% of those surveyed at the age of 18–25 would have volunteered for the army to participate in the fight. Almost all 5th (19%) would be active in charitable and humanitarian organizations. 26% of young people declared their desire to leave the country. But the CDiSZ task was just an introduction to in-depth investigation and included a circumstantial effort – mostly uniform class students. It is so hard to generalize the results obtained on the full generation of Z. “We are preparing investigation on a nationwide scale, with a multi-thousand, typical sample”, he assures Brig-Gen Rafał Meernik, Head of the Board of SGWP Training. – The Centre for Doctrines and Training will lead them, with the support of civilian experts, of course they will be held in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Curators. They will start in September – says Miernik.
Preparedness and Age
In the meantime, let us appeal to another arrangements. In 2024, the Centre for Social Opinion investigation (CBOS) published a study entitled “The readiness to defend the country”. Respondents were asked to indicate their behaviour in the event of an attack on Poland. Questions about circumstantial attitudes were asked separately – choosing 1 option did not exclude the choice of others. And so as much as 55%, risking their own lives, would take part in the defence of the country, undertaking an armed conflict with the attacker, for example serving in the armed forces or participating in the armed resistance. 72%, risking their own lives, would take part in defending the country without taking up armed action against the attacker, for example by engaging in rescue actions in areas under combat. 85% without endangering their own lives and engaging in armed combat would support defence, for example in various forms of assistance outside the battlefield. 1 in 4 respondents admitted that in specified a situation he would effort to leave Poland as shortly as possible. Importantly, the readiness to fight openly is clearly linked to age, and the top tendency to participate in armed confrontation was expressed by people between 45 and 64 years of age (67%). The only group in which the majority (56%) declared that they would not undertake this task were those aged 25–34 – those who were willing to participate in the armed conflict in defence of their homeland were only 38% of the respondents.
The conclusions of the CBOS study besides say that the professional military service gained the top support – 92% of respondents turned out to be supporters. Second place included voluntary primary military service with a score of 90%. Interestingly, much more supporters than opponents gained compulsory basic military service for men during the period of peace (52% versus 44%). But among the youngest respondents, her opponents dominated – 59% in the 18-24 age group and 50% in the 25–34 age group. The most supporters were among respondents aged 65+ (61% in this group).
– In a public debate, the work of defence is defined in military-centric categories," notes Dr. Weronika Grzebalska from the Institute of Political Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences. “The availability of various forms of service in the armed forces, with weapons in hand, is stressed. This puts on a circumstantial cultural line, a worshiping thought of dying, again with a weapon in hand, behind the homeland. As a result, young people who live in a planet of somewhat different values are faced with an alternative: either I will become a soldier and most likely fall down on the front, or I will do nothing, but I will last – he explains. Meanwhile, geopolitical conditions force Poland to build a strategy of universal defence, covering not only a strong army, but besides many and efficient civilian defence. – Not everyone is suitable for killing, which does not mean that he is useless in the defence strategy – says Grzebalska. – erstwhile we build civilian defence from a real event in Poland, more people will have an thought of what they should do in a situation of danger. Today, ignorance and incompetence frequently consequence in the withdrawal, an automatic "no" for serious commitments. And there is something to build on, and a strategy of universal defense, and pro-defence awareness. With a weapon in his hand he wants to fight a decisive minority, but rather many to make an army capable of resisting Russia's attack. Moreover, we note a very advanced proportion of declarations on civilian activities – explains the sociologist referring to the cited CBOS study, where as many as 85% of respondents declared to support the defence outside the immediate area of combat (93% in the youngest age group 18-24).
Intergenerational bridge
Regardless of the importance of the facilities, the military and its needs for expansion, including the reserves, are crucial in the defence effort of the states. "In the General Staff, we look at this in the long word and see that demographic problems impose on generational changes," says Gen. Rafał Miernik. “On the 1 hand, we have a falling childhood and a imagination of a nation little than 9 million by 2060, on the another hand youths who think that professional military service will solve safety problems. But external threats do not diminish, on the contrary. The task of older generations is to educate young people, prepare them. There is no point in insulting them – the head of the Management Board of SGWP Training calls.
The metre talks about the concept of an intergenerational bridge, behind which lies the creation of specified service conditions that would be attractive to the Z generation and its successors. Hence the request for in-depth survey of zeteks, which is not about inventing a ellipse – after all, the phenomenon of a generation He has already received many sociological studies – but a thorough designation of the needs and expectations of young Poles in relation to the army, state and civilian duty.
– For example, we are curious in regional differences – admits the general, announcing that on the basis of specified data it will be possible to plan forms of service under circumstantial voivodships. “Today we know that the east of Poland is simply a more grateful place to recruit, but we do not want to let go of any voivodship,” Miernik said. It is hard to foretell the results of the investigation that the Doctrine Centre will carry out, but it is worth pointing to experiences from another countries. Dr. Anna Chabasińska – a associate of the squad who took the native zets under the microscope – recalls an example from the USA. erstwhile recruiting for a Navy conducted in the state of California was looked into, it turned out that young people were very crucial to their parents. They were very frequently behind the decisions of children to join the US Navy. “If specified a dependence had come out of our research, I would have recommended communication effects on parents,” says Chabasińska, referring to recruitment campaigns.
These studies will take about a year, but regardless of their results, it is hard to imagine an army that would not be a hierarchical structure, requiring large availability. Therefore, another advantages of the service, its uniqueness, must be highlighted in recruitment strategies. You gotta show that the military is changing, buying quite a few modern weapons. For young Poles, with their request and ease of absorbing news, it is an attractive feature of the army.
– We are building a drone component due to the fact that the war in Ukraine has shown how crucial it is to have the ability to do so – says Colonel Michał Tomczyk of the Department of Communications and Promotion of the MON. “The usage of these devices requires appropriate habits, manual coordination, so erstwhile a young man comes to us fluently utilizing the console, for example, his hobby is simply a large asset for us, we get a man with developed competences.”
Generation representatives They value organizations that advance flexible working hours and distant work. Hence, the request to focus on promoting service models specified as territorial defence troops, voluntary essential military service, but besides on various actions undertaken by the Ministry of Defence in the field of military and pro-defence education (such as the programme "Train with the ArmyIt is not known whether or not you are taking advantage of me.
– Young people hatred wasting time," says the gene. Rafał Miernik and reveals that in the SGWP they are working on a concept of training within the universal defence system. We will shortly know the details, according to the general's assurances, that although short, the training will have the right quality. – Good course has promotional power, attracts more volunteers – the general believes.
Fear of the Unknown
Yet, youths are already engaging in defensive education activities today. An example is the program "Train with the Army", eight-hour training from the basics of survival, shooting, tactics, self-defense, masking and first aid. They are led by soldiers in units across Poland. “We wondered how the program would be received by young people. We were afraid it would become mememic. Meanwhile, young people approached him enthusiastically, says Colonel Tomczyk. As the officer admits, a fewer years ago it would have been a problem with interest, but the safety situation in Europe has done its job. – During the first and second editions, 30–40-year-olds, already experienced in life, attended the course. Now 40–50% of participants are young people – the officer says and adds that the course reports appear almost immediately on social media. Young people share experiences and encourage their peers.
– The days of the recruiting tents are over. For young people, community girls are the origin of information. It is there that we request to place our incentives, but besides to delude negative stereotypes about the military – says Colonel Tomasz Gergelewicz from the MON Operations Centre. In recruitment strategies taking into account the characteristics of the Z generation, it is essential to present troops as a place where conventional hierarchy does not exclude openness to dialogue, does not kill creativity, initiative or cooperation.
– Young people are unheard of – General Rajmund Andrzejczak convinces, in the absence of intergenerational communication, looking at the reluctance of the sage to engage in “older things” – I am not saying that we must accept all conditions and expectations, due to the fact that we do not want to build a comfortable social army, but armed forces with a advanced level of combat readiness. Nevertheless, the intergenerational conversation is important, as it will aid to make appropriate solutions. For example, if individual has a problem moving an episode, I don't gotta give it up or lower standards. I can go out with him, give him adequate time to build a form, and I can aid him.
Such solutions are already de facto functioning. Young soldiers get a year to adapt to military fitness standards (they don't gotta pass gym exams in the first year of service). Another example of flexibility is under-month basic training, after which a recruit can decide whether or not he stays in uniform.
But in this request to be heard, there is besides a participatory element. Colonel Tomasz Gergelewicz argues that in the army sewn under the mat, the commander should not trust only on experienced soldiers. Also, the youngest ones must feel that they have an influence on how the institution works. – This is simply a generation that wants to be allowed to decide. There's no opposition to sharing your ideas, they know. Young people must be allowed to talk and exploit their potential, due to the fact that in many areas they have more competence than representatives of the older generation – the officer believes.
What else should we do? “The service in the army and in institutions built under the concept of universal defence will request to be more linked to benefits,” says Rafał Miernik. – And it is not just about good salaries and taxation relief. It besides means that the service, in 1 form or another, involves the acquisition of dual-use competences. Useful in the military and in civilians, for which the army would pay, besides erstwhile renewing privileges or certificates," he says.
Is this gonna work? Will the Z generation take on defence duties? Colonel Tomasz Gergelewicz is an optimist. We're afraid of what we don't know. Meanwhile, the Z generation is not yet sufficiently tested on the labour market, especially as a management staff – the officer points to universal dependence. So why the optimism? – The cultural and social capital with which young people enter adulthood is huge. They, after coming to the institution, not only troops, request not learn fresh technologies, but can make them immediately. They don't gotta learn languages due to the fact that they know them. Let us give them tools and opportunities, it will make wings – he assures.
Gen. Rajmund Andrzejczak emphasizes realism. – Generation Z is, whether we like it or not. We will not choose another, and in time it will fill the institutions, including the management positions," the erstwhile chief of staff points out. - Am I afraid of that? I am not a professional critic, and at the same time I am permanently rooted in the belief that we Poles have incredible adaptability. Young people did not get free of this feature, says the general.
Oldest representatives of the generation With 30 today, the youngest are early teens. As a whole, the generation stands at the threshold of adulthood. It's hard to know how she'll handle it, but 1 thing's for sure: the planet of zetek will be different, the army will be different, too.
