Sweden returns draft amid security worries and soldier shortage

[webfact]

Sweden returns draft amid security worries and soldier shortage

By Daniel Dickson and Bjorn Rundstrom

REUTERS

 

Sweden's Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist speaks at a news conference in Baghdad, Iraq, November 2, 2015. REUTERS/Khalid al-Mousily

 

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Sweden is to reintroduce military conscription next year due to difficulties filling the ranks on a voluntary basis at a time of increased security concerns, the defence minister said on Thursday.

 

Non-aligned Sweden ended compulsory military service in 2010 but military activity in the Baltic region has increased since then, prompting Sweden to step up its military preparedness.

 

The reintroduction of the draft will cover men and women born in 1999 or later, though only a small minority will be selected to serve.

"We have a Russian annexation of Crimea, we have the aggression in Ukraine, we have more exercise activities in our neighbourhood. So we have decided to build a stronger national defence," Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist told Reuters.

 

"The decision to activate conscription is part of that."

 

Military service was the norm for young Swedish men during the Cold War but conscription was gradually watered down after the collapse of the Soviet Union as war in the region looked increasingly unlikely.

 

But a resurgent Russia and tensions over the conflict in Ukraine have left politicians on both sides of the aisle looking to boost military capability and address the lack of talent keen on making a career as a professional soldier.

 

Signs of the lack of military preparedness have cropped up in recent years, as when Russian warplanes carrying out a mock bombing run on Swedenin 2013 caught air defences napping.

 

OLD-FASHIONED

 

The government's decision entails the call-up of 4,000 men and women for military training per year in 2018 and 2019 and Hultqvist said motivation would be an important factor when selecting the recruits for service.

 

Sofia Hultgren, who turns 17 later this year and thus could be drafted in coming years, said many young Swedes viewed lengthy careers as military professionals as something odd and old-fashioned.

 

"I think many see it as something lame, something your father did, when there are so much other fun things to do," Hultgren, a student, told Reuters.

 

Still, she welcomed the reintroduction of military service and said she would consider such training even if she did not want to make it a career.

 

"I think this can give a feeling of comfort. Conscription strengthens our defence when we see so much ugliness in the world," she said.

 

A government investigation last year found that with unemployment near zero among the talented youngsters the armed forces targets, only about 2,500 were recruited annually while the military needed 4,000.

 

The wages for professional soldiers run well below the national average for the age group, providing little monetary incentive, while the pool of potential recruits, primarily former conscripts from before 2010, has steadily shrunk.

 

"This buffer is now exhausted and that leaves great challenges in recruiting," said Johan Osterberg, a researcher in staffing at the Swedish Defence University.

 

Swedish military expenditure has fallen from 2.5 percent of GDP in 1991, around the time the Soviet Union collapsed, to 1.1 percent of GDP in 2015, data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) showed.

 

Sweden, which is not a NATO member, has since increased spending and reassigned troops to the Baltic Sea island of Gotland besides urging local governments to step up contingency planning for a future war.

 

($1 = 9.0495 Swedish crowns)

 

(Additional reporting by Johan Sennero; writing by Niklas Pollard and Daniel Dickson, Editing by Angus MacSwan and Toby Davis)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-03-03

[daveAustin]

Quote

"We have a Russian annexation of Crimea, we have the aggression in Ukraine, we have more exercise activities in our neighbourhood. So we have decided to build a stronger national defence," Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist told Reuters.
 
"The decision to activate conscription is part of that."

And nothing to do with the rising threat within Sweden of course.  Just don't be tempted to cut corners and conscript any of your young 'guests'... giving them legal weapons!

 

On another note, about time Sweden pulled its weight in the grand scheme of things. This remaining 'neutral' lark while the rest of the world is in strife just an't cool. Sweden, Ireland etc are safe today because of the efforts and sacrifices of others.

[the guest]

Sweden is a neutral country so it's military has no value.

I don't expect the Muslim citizens will be seeking to fight for Swedish values (whatever they stand for).

The Russians could have invaded Sweden anytime, but I think Putin has realized the Muslims are doing a good enough job anyway ruining the country.

 

Look forward to Sharian law (like the UK which is already in place in many Muslim schools and communities)

 

 

[RuamRudy]

4 hours ago, daveAustin said:

 

On another note, about time Sweden pulled its weight in the grand scheme of things. This remaining 'neutral' lark while the rest of the world is in strife just an't cool. Sweden, Ireland etc are safe today because of the efforts and sacrifices of others.

 

A counter argument would be that the rest of the world is in strife because of too many countries wading into where they shouldn't, with the sole intention of generating wealth for their oil baron and arms dealer friends and their and attendant hangers-on.  

[jesimps]

3 hours ago, RuamRudy said:

 

A counter argument would be that the rest of the world is in strife because of too many countries wading into where they shouldn't, with the sole intention of generating wealth for their oil baron and arms dealer friends and their and attendant hangers-on.  

Or ensuring oil supplies for people who like to complain but would be the first to whinge if they had to go for more than a day without fuel for their car or power to their house.

[elgordo38]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

said many young Swedes viewed lengthy careers as military professionals as something odd and old-fashioned.

Really a  job for life 20 years and your out with a pension learn a trade. Sounds good to me in this crazy dog eat dog world. 

[elgordo38]

4 hours ago, RuamRudy said:

 

A counter argument would be that the rest of the world is in strife because of too many countries wading into where they shouldn't, with the sole intention of generating wealth for their oil baron and arms dealer friends and their and attendant hangers-on.  

Yes the lives of the young must be sacrificed to satisfy the desires of the old filthy rich and the military machine. Been that way since Hector was a pup.

[Baerboxer]

5 hours ago, RuamRudy said:

 

A counter argument would be that the rest of the world is in strife because of too many countries wading into where they shouldn't, with the sole intention of generating wealth for their oil baron and arms dealer friends and their and attendant hangers-on.  

 

None of which changes the fact that Sweden spends less on defense that it's contractually obligated NATO requirement. So, one of the countries, like Germany and others, that has been defrauding those NATO countries that do honor the legal commitment.

 

Sweden would not have been left alone had either the Kaiser or Hitler won the world wars they instigated to dominate Europe. So yes, they, like Switzerland, Spain, Portugal and others did benefit from the tremendous sacrifices made by the countries that fought their tyranny.

 

 

[xerostar]

Compulsory military service in order to give all the immigrant "children" something to do.

Giving them arms will only hasten Sweden's downfall.

With this news, the Islamic brotherhood will be shooting their AK47s into the air with glee !

[trogers]

Shortage of soldiers? Recruit from Amnesty International...

[Billy Bloggs]

2 hours ago, elgordo38 said:

Really a  job for life 20 years and your out with a pension learn a trade. Sounds good to me in this crazy dog eat dog world. 

Dont know how many countries in the world still give a pension after 20 years service, I know Oz doesnt anymore not sure about others.

[Get Real]

Sweden wouldn´t have a chance of a shit in the universe even if it was in the form of a monsoon rain.

[funandsuninbangkok]

4000. That will stop the Ruskies!

[cheapskatesam]

It's hard for me to imagine going to war against white people i don't think i could do it...

But i could imagine going to war against muhammads and allahs and achmeds lol 

 

The Russians can do whatever they like in Ukraine.. i'll never regard them as my "enemy" regardless of how much the elites and the liberal media obsesses over the issue 

[elgordo38]

1 hour ago, Billy Bloggs said:

Dont know how many countries in the world still give a pension after 20 years service, I know Oz doesnt anymore not sure about others.

Sometimes my mind goes to far back to the good old days and I must reel it in. Thank you Billy Bloggs. I pressed my reset button and am back at 2017 again. I really hated to leave but its the here and now. Pretty soon it will be the hereafter. Oh glory me where has the time gone. Some days I feel like I have been locked up in a time capsule for 50 years and was cheated out of the 50s,60s,70s,80s and 90s. Good Lord what happened to my face and body!!

[FinChin67]

Finland used to take care of Russia for Sweden but now.. it's open borders to anyone.

In Finland the Russians have bought a lot of strategic areas near military installations and also in the archipelago. This is for housing soldiers ("little green men"), equipment for taking down nearby communications centres etc. in same style as in Crimea. Finnish government is "worried" and whining in the news about this but do nothing (because it's everybody's right to buy land in Finland). Try to do that in Russia...

They are most likely doing that in Sweden too and even without this Russia could take it over in days as Swedens military is a joke.

[ilostmypassword]

11 hours ago, cheapskatesam said:

It's hard for me to imagine going to war against white people i don't think i could do it...

But i could imagine going to war against muhammads and allahs and achmeds lol 

 

The Russians can do whatever they like in Ukraine.. i'll never regard them as my "enemy" regardless of how much the elites and the liberal media obsesses over the issue 

I didn't know Islam was a race.  But I do know that you're a racist. And a confused one at that. So according to you are Ukrainians not white people? Or is it that you don't have a problem with white people being killed as long as you're not the one doing it?