BRUSSELS, Aug. 3 -- Belgium has filled its first 500 slots under a new voluntary military service program, with the initial cohort of recruits set to begin training with the country's armed forces in coming weeks, Anadolu Agency reported.

The program, designed for young people aged 18 to 25, offers a one-year voluntary commitment and is one of the Belgian government's responses to sustained pressure across NATO to expand military capacity without reinstituting compulsory conscription, which Belgium abolished in 1995.

Of the 500 recruits, 283 are Dutch-speaking and 217 are French-speaking, reflecting roughly the linguistic balance of the country's population. Women account for about 16 percent of the initial cohort.

The program reflects...