– I am proud. Absolutely. It’s big. That’s what Hans William Amundsen Hansrud from Havøysund says. The 20-year-old has sweat in his hair and dirt on his face. He has just finished an exercise in the skau outside the Garrison in Porsanger in Vest-Finnmark. After Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, the Norwegian Armed Forces will have young people with pocket knowledge to defend the border in the north. Young people who know the area and cope with the climate. – I understand that very well. We are the ones who know Finnmark best, says Hansrud. Here, young soldiers practice war in the forest outside the Garrison in Porsanger. Kai Erik Bull He is halfway into his first service and has become a team leader. Hansrud really wanted to join the military. – Being able to develop one’s personality, gain more discipline and become more mature, in addition to improving one’s physical form, is motivating, he says. – Stories about people who hurt themselves The Chief of Defense Staff Sergeant Rune Wenneberg has worked for several decades in the Armed Forces. He says that the attitudes of those going into first-time service have changed. He sums up the changes succinctly as follows: – In the past, you bluffed at injuries in order to escape. Whereas today people bluff off injuries in order to get in. The chief of defense’s chief sergeant, Rune Wenneberg, is impressed by today’s young people. Photo: FORSVARET Wenneberg says that they currently have 5,000 more qualified soldiers nationwide than they have room for in the Armed Forces. He says that 20–30 years ago, sneaking away was almost a sport. – There were stories about people who harmed themselves or gambled on mental illness, he says. When asked directly where it was worst, he says that the trend was more widespread in northern Norway. Today, this is far less widespread, he believes. Chatting in the group of friends Inside the auditorium at the Garrison in Porsanger, around 100 Home Guard recruits from Sylf sit in green camouflage uniforms. There are far fewer disciplinary problems in the Armed Forces today than twenty years ago, according to Forsvarstopp, Rune Wenneberg. Photo: Kai Erik Bull / news The boys with freshly shaved scalps and the girls with tight braids or ponytails. – The military service is a big topic in the group of friends, says Martine Bårdsen from Hammerfest. She has long wanted to join the military. To be challenged both physically and mentally. But the desire does not apply to everyone. – It’s like fifty/fifty. But most people have to go in then, says the 19-year-old. Martine Bårdsen and Magnus Laaksonen are two young Finnmarkers who are motivated for first-time service. Photo: Hanne Larsen / news – Who will defend us One who has no plans to sneak away is Magnus Laaksonen from Alta. He, too, is a recent recruit. The 19-year-old is looking forward to the first service, but also knows about those who don’t. Laaksonen believes it is not common, but he knows young people who have made up physical and psychological weaknesses to escape. He doesn’t think this is right. – If everyone says no, who will defend us if there is a war, he asks. Recruits Martine Bårdsen and Magnus Laaksonen understand that they are part of a big mission. Photo: Hanne Larsen / news Wenneberg says that there have always been young people who have been motivated and dedicated to service. He still believes that today’s young people excel. – I see a huge turnaround in terms of motivation, effort and willingness to do well. In addition to them understanding why we have a defence, he says. – Treated like adults The tendency became particularly noticeable in the 2000s. He believes this is largely due to the Armed Forces themselves. According to Wenneberg, the soldiers began to be given more responsibility and were treated as adults. – It is now the end of recruits being put to empty rubbish or other free work. Today, all the recruits can go to bed tired with scrapes on their knees, beads of sweat on their foreheads and a smile on their faces, says the chief sergeant. Wenneberg says that the result is noticeable. – Today we have almost no disciplinary problems, which my generation had major problems with, he says. Less guy atmosphere Wenneberg believes that compulsory conscription for women from 2015 has also contributed in a positive direction. – The adult experience became greater and there was less of a boyish atmosphere in the barracks. Girls in their 20s are more mature than boys of the same age, he says. Today’s young soldiers are more mature and motivated than in the past, says Chief Sergeant. Here are brand new recruits from the Garrison in Porsanger. Photo: Kai Erik Bull / news Changed attitudes despite. The conscription survey among young people for 2024 shows that the proportion who believe it is a duty to serve has decreased since 2020. From 72 to 63 per cent. – It may be due to a combination of the war in Ukraine and social development where some people want to prioritize themselves over the community, he says. Wenneberg says that they do not notice anything about these changes. – Those who come to us take their social responsibility seriously, says Wenneberg. After the interviews with the recruits at the Garrison in Porsanger were done, Magnus Laaksonen has resigned. He tells news that he has damage to his elbow after an accident a few years ago and that his arm therefore does not function optimally. Both he himself and the doctor in session were optimistic, but it now turns out that the arm needs to be operated on. – If the arm is approved by a specialist after the operation, I may be able to return to primary care in 1-2 years, says the 19-year-old. Magnus Laaksonen had been looking forward to military service. After news interviewed him, he was dismissed due to an injured arm. He hopes to return. Photo: Hanne Larsen / news Published 27.08.2024, at 21.53
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Young people’s attitudes towards the first service have changed in the last twenty years according to sergeant-in-chief – news Troms and Finnmark
