NRK Troms and Finnmark Sgt. said that young people’s attitudes towards first-time military service have changed over the past two decades

– I’m proud of it. Absolutely. It’s huge.

That’s what Hans William Amundsen Hansrud from Havøysund said.

The 20-year-old had sweat in his hair and dirt on his face.

He had just finished an exercise at Skau outside the Bosanger garrison in western Finnmark.

After the war with Russia’s aggression in Ukraine is over, the Norwegian Armed Forces will have young people with pocket knowledge to guard the northern border. Young people who know the region and can cope with the climate.

– I understand this very well. We are the ones who know Finnmark best, says Hansrud.

He was already halfway through his first tour of duty and had become a team manager. Hansrud really wanted to join the army.

– He said that being able to develop one’s personality, gain more discipline and become more mature is also a motivation in addition to improving one’s physical shape.

– Stories of people who hurt themselves

Chief of the Defence Staff Sgt. Rune Wenneberg, who has served in the Norwegian armed forces for decades, said attitudes among those serving for the first time have changed.

He summarized these changes succinctly as follows:

– In the past, people bluffed injuries to escape. Today, people bluff injuries to get into the team.

Winneborg said they currently have 5,000 more qualified soldiers nationwide than the armed forces can accommodate.

He said that 20-30 years ago, sneaking around was almost a sport.

– He said there were stories of people self-harming or gambling leading to mental illness.

When asked directly where the situation was worst, he said the trend was more prevalent in northern Norway.

He believes this is less common today.

Small talk in the circle of friends

In the auditorium of the Bosanger garrison, about 100 Swedish National Guard recruits sat in green camouflage uniforms.

The boys had their scalps freshly shaved, while the girls wore their hair in tight braids or ponytails.

– Military service is a big topic among friends, says Martine Bårdsen from Hammerfest.

She had long wanted to join the military. It would be challenging both physically and mentally.

But this desire doesn’t apply to everyone.

– It’s like fifty/fifty. But most people have to go in, the 19-year-old said.

– Who will protect us?

Magnus Laaksonen from Alta is not going to sneak away. He is also new to the team. The 19-year-old is looking forward to his first service but also understands those who did not attend.

Laaksonen doesn’t think it’s common, but he knows some young people get away with it by compensating for physical and mental weaknesses.

He thinks this is wrong.

– If everyone says no, who will protect us if a war breaks out, he asked.

Winneborg said there have always been young people who have taken the initiative to serve. He still believes today’s young people are excellent.

–J“I’ve seen a huge shift in motivation, effort and willingness to do good. In addition to them understanding why we’re doing the defense,” he said.

– Treat like an adult

This trend became particularly pronounced in the 2000s, and he attributes much of this to the armed forces themselves.

Winneborg said soldiers are starting to be given more responsibilities and treated like adults.

– No more recruits are sent to empty the trash or do other free work. Today, all recruits can go to bed tired with scraped knees, beads of sweat on their foreheads and a smile on their faces, the sergeant said.

The results, Winneberg said, are clear.

“Today we have almost no discipline problems, whereas my generation faced serious problems,” he said.

Less masculine

Wenneberg believes that the full conscription of women, which began in 2015, has also contributed in a positive direction.

– The adult experience has become richer and the childish atmosphere in the barracks has become less. He said that girls in their 20s are more mature than boys of the same age.

Although attitudes have changed.

The 2024 Young People’s Enlistment Survey shows that the proportion who believe that military service is compulsory has fallen since 2020, from 72% to 63%.

– He said this could be due to a combination of the war in Ukraine and social developments where some people want to put themselves above the community.

Winneberg said they had not noticed the changes.

– Those who come to us take their social responsibility seriously, Winnipeg said.

After interviewing new recruits at the Bosanger garrison, Magnus Laaksonen resigned.

He told NRK that an accident several years ago left him with an elbow injury, and as a result his arm is not functioning optimally.

He and his attending doctors were optimistic, but now it turns out that the arm requires surgery.

– If the arm is cleared by specialists after surgery, I will probably return to primary care in 1-2 years,” the 19-year-old said.