AF Department for Working with Personnel

The Department was formed on 29 July 1993 by the Armenian defence minister’s decree.

Since then, the following officials have held the position of the head of the Department:

1. 1 September in 1993 -19 August 1995  Maj. Gen. Artush Oganezi Ter-Tadevosyan;
2. 19 August 1995-  20 August 1999 Col. Gegham Harutyunyan;
3. 1 September 1999 – 3 October 1, 2000 Lt. Col. Araik Tadevosyan;
4. 3 October 2000 – 27  August 2002  Col. Suren Gevorgyan;
5. 27 August 2002 – 27 February 2009  Maj. Gen. Vardan Avetisyan;
6. Since 27 February 2009 Maj. Gen. Aleksan Aleksanyan

Under the Nation-Army concept, the Department’s task is provide moral and psychological support (MPS) to troops in the times of peace and war through informational, educational, psychological, social, legal activities, activities aimed at strengthening the military discipline  and protecting the troops from the adversary’s psychological influences, as well as to  provide informational and educational materials and equipment.

Under the relevant MPS components, the Department carries out the following activities:

Informational and educational activities

1. Development of ideological resolve and strong moral and psychological qualities among the personnel and their consolidation based on the idea of ​​protecting the Homeland;
2. Monitoring the implementation process of the Outlines of Ideological Measures for Educating Homeland Defenders under the Nation-Army concept to establish a morally and psychologically healthy atmosphere among the personnel while providing combat education;
3. In close cooperation with the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Tumo Centre, educational and cultural clubs and NGOs, conduct games in the army with the purpose of encouraging the educational and cultural education of the personnel, enhancing their knowledge about the Homeland, promoting their national mentality;

Psychological support activities

1. Carrying out activities aimed at strengthening the psychological steadiness of the personnel, ensuring their mental stability and decreasing nervousness;
2. Comprehensive and thorough examination of psychological peculiarities of each serviceman and provision of psychological support to them;
3. In conjunction with the Intra Mental Health Care Centre and higher educational institutions,  implementing programmes aimed at maintaining the psychological stability and mental health of the servicemen, as well as training of psychologist officers;
4. Analyzing the causes and contributing factors of suicide or driving to suicide; holding workshops and conferences to prevent them;
5. Setting up psychological aid facilities;
6. Elaboration of recommendations for the formation of a healthy moral atmosphere;

Military-social (socio-legal) activities

1. Undertaking measures to protect and ensure the rights and social guarantees of servicemen, restoration of infringed rights, raising the level of legal knowledge, carrying out organisational and preventive measures aimed at enforcement of military and statutory discipline;
2. Implementation of programmes aimed at raising the level of legal knowledge and professional orientation of servicemen as well as providing appropriate consultation in conjunction with the Armenian National Academy of Sciences’ National Bureau of Tests and the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs;

Culture and Leisure

1. Providing adequate conditions for personnel’s comprehensive leisure, taking measures for the formation of a healthy moral atmosphere among the personnel by relieving the psychological tension and maintaining emotional stability;
2. Developing the sense of military duty, loyalty to domestic traditions; providing cultural and artistic service; cooperation with state and regional cultural bodies; helping servicemen and their family members get to know national and universal cultural works of significant value;
3. Implementation of various concerts and entertainment events with the participation of the Armed Forces Song and Dance Ensemble;

Protection of troops from the adversary's information and psychological influence

• Explanation of tasks, assignments; prediction of psychological impact and propaganda through analysis of informational situation; prevention and offsetting of such impact.

Providing informational and educational material and equipment

• Coordinating the acquisition, registration, distribution and proper use of educational material and equipment.