– This is a crisis for me, it is a crisis for the Armed Forces. We have to clean this up, that’s how we can not have it in the Armed Forces, says Chief of Defense Eirik Kristoffersen. In recent weeks, news has presented several cases of warnings in the Armed Forces. The stories of Lieutenant Colonel Line Svingen and Sergeant Major Kristine Solhaug have attracted attention and debate. Line Svingen was dismissed without notice. The case ended with the Armed Forces having to give Svingen an unreserved apology. The defense has admitted that they deposed her on failing grounds. Photo: Tomm W. Christiansen / news The cases that have appeared in the media have led to very many warnings in the Armed Forces. – There have been many alerts. In 2021 I received around 240 notifications, in recent weeks I have received around eight notifications every day. It is a significant job to clean up, says the Chief of Defense. news has access to the content of over 70 warnings against senior officers that have been broadcast in the last two years. 17 of those notified are top officers, so-called flag officers. Considering reporting the Chief of Defense, Eirik Kristoffersen, to the police, he has now reviewed the warnings he is facing, and found one possible case worthy of criticism. Photo: Øyvind Bye Skille / news – The review of the known warnings against flag officers in the Armed Forces is a case from 2018 that I think should have been reported to the police at the time. The case was about finances and disorder around it, says the chief of defense. The person who was notified has left the Armed Forces, and the case was not reported to the police at the time. – It was handled in another way, probably with the person quitting and maybe making up for it. The Chief of Defense believes the case should have been reported to the police at the time, and says they will now make a new assessment of whether the case should be reported. Concerned about looking ahead Jens Jahren, leader of Befalets Fellesorganisasjon, believes that there is a tendency for consequences to hit faster at a lower level. – In recent years, we have seen that reactions to whistleblowing cases come down very quickly, while we have not always seen the same rapid consequences for managers. The organization believes that all cases must be dealt with individually, regardless of the degree the individual has in the Armed Forces. – It is a demanding situation to be in, but I am keen to look ahead and learn from this. In recent years, the Armed Forces has used resources to handle alerts, says Jahren. The union will meet the defense chief this week to discuss this topic. They experience having had a good dialogue with the leadership in the defense. – We are keen to do this in a better way in the future, this is something we own together.
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