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It is a common misconception that marriage to a foreign spouse will mean an automatic exemption from the mandatory Egyptian Military Service. This is not the case. I have verified cases going back to as early as 2005 of Egyptian men married to foreigners having to serve and I suspect it goes back further than that. I myself have experienced going through the process with my own Egyptian Husband as well as know currently several other foreign wives from around the world also married to Egyptians having to serve or that have served in the past. I am putting out general information for those women who come after us and find themselves in this same situation as I had no support or general information in the beginning to know what was really going on.
If your fiance or spouse has a pending military obligation in Egypt here is general information you may want to know.
The age they can go into active duty is between 18 and 30. They may delay mandatory service for the period of their schooling until completion. Single sons are exempt from service and those not meeting the general fitness/medical requirements. Those over the age of 30 who avoid their service will have to pay a fee which may be monetary or military prison time.
Boot camp has 4 rounds every year starting once every 3 months. These months are January, April, July and October. This is because of the medical checks for new recruits.
For privates it's a 45 day "lock down" or as we call it in the States "basic training".
For officers it's a 90 day lock down.
Communication is anywhere from nothing to very limited during this period. Native parents and siblings may visit during this period one day every week on Friday, but not foreigners even if a spouse. If a foreign spouse sneaks in or is smuggled in by family and is caught there are consequences.
There is a week break after the lock down. This is not always given and sometimes squeezed to a few days depending on a case by case situation.
Officers are considered a student for a concentrated course in the military college and continue their boot camp period for nine months.
General terms of service start at 3 years and then a discount is given for level of education. If you have a degree from college you may get three years up to one year. The duration of service depends on education and the branch and position they are placed in with each having their own pathway. At anytime they can cancel the discounted time and extend it for the full three years encase they want to keep everyone for three years.
The three main branches are Army, Air Force, and Navy and each branch are having sub-branches of themselves. The sub-branches of the branches are having separate boot camps. Boot camps are mainly located in the peripheries of Cairo and outside Cairo as well.
For more on the Egyptian Military Branches see: Military of Egypt and Egypt Military History
After release of active duty they may be recalled for up to nine years at anytime when they are on native soil. Generally when a project is coming is the period for recall. The recall period is anywhere from 3 weeks to a month and can be extended after it starts for the duration of the project but the minimum recall always begins with 3 weeks or 21 days.
Fees/Bribes are accepted by Officers willing to look the other way for extra money. The Officers will make it known to the recruit that they are aware of the recruits marriage to a foreigner and are willing to accept a "fee" to make all the paperwork go away in the beginning if the recruit has not begun service. The fee starts at around $4,000 USD. If the recruit does not have access to this source of money immediately then they will have to serve their mandatory time. The contact Officer may approach them again offering a price of half that around $1,785 USD after a period of service by the recruit. During this period of service the recruits life will be made as miserable as possible. I am not at liberty to discuss the treatment they receive. However, the fee upon payment does guarantee the recruits release and all the paperwork is made in order.
However, be warned that the other side of paying the fee/bribe is that it is very dangerous game in the Military and is not encouraged. The certificate made would be a fraud and would drag those involved in the crime into Military prison if discovered. If they are taken into the Military they can't be out unless something gets in the way of their service such as a medical cause. This would include the loss of a limb, a mind turned bad, or in other cases the person is discovered to be gay. Whether this certificate comes from the office it is originated in the certificate would be discovered a fraud because there would have to be the proper medical paper to explain the cause of release. Simply put no paper of medical explanation means the certificate is a fraud.
Sometimes they are released early and legitimately for reasons the military will not disclose until the formal period of service is up. This means the recruits are not serving actively and are still military property and may be inquired about at their place of work or home and recalled at any time. Sometimes if the recruit has connections with Higher Ranking Officers they can get them to make it look like they are serving their full time but only on paper.
Communication by cell phones are allowed just not the picture taking kind. Pictures are forbidden. Communication is intercepted and monitored. Generally they look the other way from cell phones until they become a problem. In some cases they will ask for their email and password and monitor that during their service.
They receive all their holidays off so get a calendar showing Islamic holidays and know when they are. Sometimes if the camp they are stationed at is large they will split the camps releasing one group for the beginning of the holiday and the second group for the ending of it. Breaks can vary case by case but are generally every months for a week. The week may also be squeezed into a few days and if they are especially bad they may skip their break all together. During breaks it is forbidden for them to travel anything other than government sponsored transportation. It is also a requirement for them to wear their military outfits during travel and they have special ones for breaks.
Disobeying military orders such as over extending their period of leave, or sneaking in and out of camp and getting caught, or getting caught on anything other than government sponsored transportation during a break, or being found traveling in civilian clothes lands them in the camps military prison for a period of 24 hours up to more time depending on the severity.
Conditions of camps depend upon where they are stationed. If known to be married to a foreigner and not just engaged to one they may be placed in low profile situations away from superiors and have to live out in the wildness and trek all their supplies in themselves. They may be placed in large camps made of tents out in the windy deserts and have supplies come on a schedule. They may be placed in barracks in known military bases such as on the Suez Canal or in Officer Quarters. Information on this subject is limited. However Officers do get better equipment and access to supplies then the lower ranks per usual.
Upon release they all should receive their papers the same day. If not it should be to them within two weeks or in some cases they have to return to the camp they last served in and retrieve their release documentation themselves to ensure they get it. If trouble is made their release may be delayed as a punishment. A general rule of thumb is if they make no trouble then they get no trouble.
For further reading see Notes on Compulsory Army Service in Egypt
This post has been edited by ~Flower~: 12 August 2009 - 01:57 AM
MultiQuote
Ya some of my wording getting fuzzy when I get tired. I am glad the information is still understandable and helpful though.
Here is something fun to do. Count the times I used a form of the word general. 
