The UAE Armed Forces training centers welcomed the tenth group of recruits to national service for the academic year 2017-2018, which included 12th-grade high school graduates, as well as university and college graduates, Emirates news agency WAM reported.

Emirati men, aged between 18 and 30, reported to four training camps across the country, where they will undergo physical and military training. The camps are in Liwa (Dhafra), Al Ain, the Sieh Al-Lahma (Al Ain) and Manama (Ajman).

During their training period, the recruits will take part in an integrated training program, developed according to the best international standards.

In the initial phase, recruits will be introduced to military exercises, which include training on how to handle and operate weapons, military discipline, fitness training, and development of leadership skills.

These recruits will be the first to undergo a new legal period for national service, according to a decision announced by the General Command of the Armed Forces in July, which extended the training period from 12 to 16 months. Those who do not have a high school qualification will serve three years.

Major-General Pilot Sheikh Ahmad bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, Chairman of the National and Reserve Service Authority, expressed his pride in the citizens who have joined to serve their country, stressing the significance of this phase in their lives, which he said would instill in them the noble values of loyalty, discipline, strength and commitment.