PARIS, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- To improve the living standards of soldiers and their families, 300 million euros (349.5 million U.S. dollars) would be given out to military families, French defense minister Florence Parly announced Tuesday.
"This plan was forged by and for the military officers...We recruit a soldier but it's a whole family which is committed for the long-term," Parly said.
With this "plan to support families and improve the living conditions of the military officers," the government wants to better take into account operational absences, better support mobility, and improve integration of the garrison in the heart of family life.
"The family plan will better reconcile a demanding commitment to a fulfilling family life by first helping the most vulnerable and addressing issues of availability and mobility," she added.
The plan worth 300 million euros in new loans over five years will be implemented by 70 percent in 2018.
It "will be monitored and continuously discussed with the consultation bodies," the French minister said.
Since the 2015 terror attacks, military forces have been engaged in continued and exhausting patrolling operations in and around main touristic zones and sensitive areas in France.
Soldiers also have been targets of attacks. The latest one took place in September when a man wielding a knife tried to stab a soldier from Sentinelle Operation who was patrolling a metro station in Paris. (1 euro = 1.17 U.S. dollars)
