The Argentine Government amended Law 19.101 to enable active-duty military personnel to serve in the Ministry of Defense without being placed on availability. «This decision allows the Ministry to count on the most qualified personnel for the management of national defense, without affecting the professional career of military personnel,» the military branch reported in a statement. «Until now, passing to availability meant that the time of service in the Ministry would not count as effective service, which discouraged the incorporation of officers and non-commissioned officers with experience and specialized knowledge in key functions,» the text indicated. The urgency of the measure, implemented this Monday through a Decree of Necessity and Urgency (DNU), responds to «the operational need to fill strategic positions with competent personnel in areas where accumulated professional knowledge is decisive». «The training and experience inherent to a military career are essential for the planning and direction of national defense,» the ministry, headed by Carlos Presti, stated in a statement. The DNU «is part of a policy of integration between civilian and active-duty military personnel within the Ministry, strengthening the leadership of the defense system». «It also corrects a restriction that affected the principle of equality before the law, by limiting the access of military personnel to functions for which they are fully competent,» it was added. The amendment does not introduce privileges or alter the substantial aspects of the military career and will not be applicable to officers who have reached the ranks of lieutenant general, admiral, or brigadier general, or to those who have served as Chief of the Joint General Staff or Chiefs of the General Staffs of the Armed Forces, as these positions represent the culmination of a military career.
