Dunno, is the money that good? A quick google search suggests that it's not really much better than entry level military jobs in their home countries... or civilian jobs, for that matter. Likewise: *what* social advancement are they getting out of it? What experience that they wouldn't be getting elsewhere?
I just don't see any of this as likely. And I tend to think tjat if people are reluctant to work abroad they'll be twice as reluctant to work for a foreign military
Basic German serviceman gets €23,000 annually
Basic Polish serviceman gets zł30,000 annually, equivalent to €7,000 annually
Once you start factoring in Officers, Specialists and bonuses, the disparity in pays increases exponentially. Regarding social advancement, it will depend on the military and the service, but for most in modern services has offered potential for advancement - giving families a foot into technical vocations like medicine, engineering, command of ships or planes, or a leadership post. Regarding experience, military experience is gained in the military. It is not an invalid concern, as Poland for example has a history of significant brain drain in recent years, with loads of their Uni-qualified young workers moving to countries like Germany or the UK to take up unskilled labour despite their able qualifications. Military-orientated Poles may still prefer to serve in a foreign Western military than their own based upon historical experience:
He added that it was important for the Polish armed forces to tell expatriates that the services were no longer the cash-strapped and conscript-based institutions that some Poles, he joked, may have left Poland to avoid.
At the start of the year Poland abandoned conscription and started to pour money into converting its army into a 120,000-strong modern, professional force.
The starting salary for a private now comes to around £472 a month, 13 times more than a conscript received, while specialist skills and combat experience could further increase the monthly pay-packet.
Poland's move away from conscription is in line with a massive overhaul of its armed forces. The country plans to spend some £17 billion by 2018 on modernising its military, which is still burdened by Soviet-era equipment.
Overseas deployment has also put wear and tear on equipment. Poland has 1,200 troops involved in combat operations in Afghanistan: a mission that has stretched the army's resources to the limit.
I and my only intelligent roommate in the army once nearly managed to convince one of our other, less-intelligent roommates that joining the French Foreign Legion was a really good idea.
He was at the "register for an application" page when he realized that they were based in France, and that being able to speak French was probably a plus.
And that he'd need to, y'know, do work.
We were so close.
How tremendously devilish