The case in summary Many veterans experience mental health problems after deployment, and they often get worse over time. The armed forces follow up veterans for one year after returning home, before civil society takes over responsibility. Municipal veterans’ plans are a measure to ensure follow-up in the longer term, but less than half of the municipalities in Norway have such a plan. Stryn municipality is the only municipality in the old Sogn og Fjordane county that has adopted a veterans’ plan. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. When Ståle Fossheim returned home from a peacekeeping mission in January 2002, he received a few days of information and follow-up, and a questionnaire six months later. – And since then I haven’t heard much more, he says. Fossheim primarily has fond memories of the mission in Kosovo, and today works as a teacher. But there are many veterans who have not fared as well. – I know of some who are disabled because of it. So some have sacrificed a lot for Norway’s security policy. Many veterans experience poorer mental health over time Today, the Armed Forces follow up veterans for one year after returning home. The Afghanistan survey from 2020 showed that 1 in 10 veterans have mental health problems. During the eight years the survey took place, there were several who reported that their mental health had worsened. Long-term follow-up is at least as important as follow-up in the first year, believes Bjørn Robert Dahl, secretary general of the Norwegian Veterans’ Association for International Operations (NVIO). – If something happens to the veteran, it is often what is called a “late onset”. That one gets a lot of thoughts afterwards, and it can appear both five and ten years later. Bjørn Robert Dahl, secretary general of NVIO, points out that veterans can be important resources in unexpected crisis situations here at home. Photo: Anders Nilsen / Høyskolen Kristiania Berre eight out of 43 municipalities in Vestland have veterans’ plans One of the measures to ensure that veterans are followed up in the longer term is municipal veterans’ plans. The government encouraged all the municipalities to establish this already in the follow-up plan from 2014. The purpose is to recognise, look after and follow up the veterans and their families locally. Own veteran contacts in the municipalities must help to connect the veterans’ needs with civilian support services. Figures from the Norwegian Armed Forces show that under 203 of the 357 municipalities in Norway lack such a veterans plan. Vestland county is one of the counties with the most veterans, yet only eight out of 43 municipalities have created a veterans’ plan. Number of veterans and municipalities with a veterans plan per county Oslo: 3,696 veterans. Has a veterans plan. Viken: 9,611 veterans. 34 out of 54 municipalities have plans for veterans. Inland: 3,667 veterans. 30 out of 46 municipalities have veterans plans. Vestfold and Telemark: 2,881 veterans 12 out of 23 municipalities have veteran plans. Agder: 1857 veterans. 13 out of 25 municipalities have veterans plans. Rogaland: 2,227 veterans. 10 out of 23 municipalities have plans for veterans, Vestland: 4,290 veterans. 7 out of 43 municipalities have veterans plans. Møre and Romsdal: 1,636 veterans. 4 out of 26 municipalities have veterans plans. Trøndelag: 4,641 veterans. 14 out of 38 municipalities have veterans plans. Nordland: 2386 veterans. 21 out of 41 municipalities have plans for veterans. Troms and Finnmark: 2,885 veterans. 10 out of 39 municipalities have veterans plans. A total of 39,777 veterans. 203 out of 357 municipalities lack veterans’ plans. Source: The Norwegian Defense Personnel and Conscription Centre. The number was reported on 18/01/2024 and is based on the old county boundaries. Veterans who served between 1947 and 1978 are not included in the figure. – Room for improvement Dahl says that the follow-up of the veterans has improved over the past 15 years, but that there is still some work to be done. – After the first year, civil society and the public services will take over. And it is perhaps one of the areas with the greatest room for improvement. Dahl points out that Vestland is one of the counties with many veterans and few veterans’ plans, and urges the municipalities to get started with the preparation of these. Veterans in Norway A veteran is a civilian or military person who has served in international operations. 100,000 Norwegian women and men have served in international operations after the Second World War. Today, Norway has approximately 39,000 veterans who have served from 1978 to the present day. Stryn took action Stryn municipality adopted its first veterans’ plan last November, as the first and only municipality in the old Sogn og Fjordane county. Nils Petter Hauge, former veterans’ contact in Stryn municipality, says that the plan will take care of those who are out on assignment, those who are coming home and those who are going out in the future. – If those going on international assignments in the future see that today’s veterans are well taken care of, then it is easier for a municipality and a nation to send out new representatives. Current veterans contact, Siv Randi Berstad and former veterans contact, Nils Petter Hauge with a fresh veterans plan for Stryn municipality. Photo: Laurita Fure Briceno / news Veteran plans are a good start – A plan in itself is good, but it must also be communicated. There is no point in having a plan if no one knows about it, says Fossheim about the veterans’ plans. He points out that many veterans only have positive experiences and little or no negative after-effects, while others are more affected. – We know that some veterans have greater challenges than others. Getting help early is important to make life easier. Fossheim believes it is important to have arenas where veterans can meet and share good and bad experiences with like-minded people. Photo: Laurita Fure Briceno / news
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Less than half of the municipalities have plans for veterans – news Vestland
