– Any abuse must be responded to, says Simen Berge Størkersen, captain and company manager in Garden. news has revealed a number of cases in which people in the Armed Forces who have experienced sexual harassment or other abuse of power by senior officers have experienced that it has no consequences for the person being notified. – Part of the problem here is that in the Armed Forces, as in many other hierarchical organizations – let’s say the Labor Party, is that you have to be loyal to the organization or party over time if you are to reach the top, says Størkersen. He believes this often leads to poor treatment of alerts. – This means that those who sit at the top know each other well, both as colleagues and often also as friends. This makes it very difficult for many bosses to deal with issues that concern people they know well. The Chief of Defense has a zero vision when it comes to bullying and harassment. – For me, it is far more important to enforce zero tolerance, says Størkersen. Recognizes Kristine Solhaug recognizes herself well in Størkersen’s analysis. She alerted her chief of staff about a major who had been drunk, and tried to force her to tell the police that he had not been drinking. – I have refrained from saying anything about the boys’ club, but I feel that it can be a bit apt, says Solhaug. – I was grenades, lowest in rank, up against a major. I also felt very much that he was protected by the bosses. She did not experience that the major received any punishment. – I do not see any consequence, because he was moved up to a higher staff. I have been told afterwards that it was a measure to separate us. Externally, it does not look good when you get a kind of promotion. Requires great professionalism The leader of the Commanders’ Joint Organization Jens Jahren admits that whistleblowing cases can be particularly difficult in the Armed Forces. – It requires an extreme awareness when you have as close ties as you have in very many departments in the Armed Forces. He explains that many have gone to school together, gone on operations together, and worked closely for decades. Then it becomes difficult for a boss when a friend and colleague is suddenly accused of something reprehensible. Leader of Befalets Fellesorganisasjon Jens Jahren Photo: Øyvind Bye Skille / news – It takes great professionalism to look through it. – How confident can the whistleblower be that the story is handled professionally, if the person you are whistling about has gone to school with and served for many years with the person being whistled at? – The notification institute gives you the opportunity to notify on very many channels. It is also possible to notify anonymously, so it is not the case that you have to go to your boss and notify, says Jahren. He recommends notifying the Chief of Defense’s internal audit. Want loyalty – not obedience Kristine Solhaug says she had been told that things should be handled at the lowest possible level. Therefore, she went to her chief of staff. – I would not do it again. I’ve learned that. I want us to be able to stop dealing with it at the lowest possible level. Because there will be so much acquaintance, she says. Chief of Defense Eirik Kristoffersen agrees that it is a good idea to warn higher in the system. He believes several of the cases news has uncovered are serious and should have reached him earlier. – It is possible to notify directly to the Chief of Defense’s internal audit, or also to the Ministry’s internal audit if you want to leave the Armed Forces, says Kristoffersen. The Chief of Defense is concerned that it should not be perceived as disloyal to notify. – It is absolutely essential that we have people who are loyal and who are not obedient. Being obedient is something we do not want. It’s loyalty to speak out. There must be no doubt about that.
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Believes commanders in the Armed Forces struggle to handle alerts to their own friends – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
