Little interest in military service - warning
Published: 9 Jun 10 11:05 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/27118/20100609/
A lack of volunteers could lead to severe manpower shortages in Sweden's armed services, an organization representing conscripts has warned.
- Sweden to send 160 troops in Mali mission (19 Jun 13)
- Sweden eyes Mali peacekeeping mission (30 May 13)
- 'Sweden should be proud of its troops' (29 May 13)
Only ten percent of young people said they were ‘very interested’ in undertaking the three-month basic military training course set to replace compulsory military service on July 1st, according to a survey commissioned by Värnpliktsrådet.
“Of those who have expressed interest, only one in three would consider signing up to serve as a soldier under the employment conditions that will be applied,” the organization wrote in a statement.
Värnpliktsrådet’s chairman Jesper Holm said it was “time for the defence minister and military leaders to remove their blinkers. Otherwise they are going to get an unpleasant surprise on 1st July.
The government and military have previous claimed that interest in joining the military was more than sufficient to match the requirement for 4,000 soldiers per year.
The survey was carried out by market research company Markör. Some 1,000 men and women aged 17-25 were interviewed.
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
Swedish addicts could get glass 'free zone'
Politicians in the small Swedish town of Falköping want to give alcoholics and drug users a glass-encased zone in the middle of a central square, saying it would lessen public disturbances and allow "the down and out" to socialize. READ () »
EU probes SAS airline over state aid
The European Commission opened an in-depth probe on Wednesday to see if state aid given to Scandinavian Airlines by Sweden and Denmark conformed to EU rules. READ () »
Jeepers creepers, your shoes hurt my peepers
In The Local's new Fashion Fix column on Swedish trends, Englishwoman Victoria Hussey gets up close and personal with shoes - namely "brothel creepers" from WWII that have been making a steady return to Stockholm pavements. READ () »
Frozen raspberries could spread vomiting bug
Imported frozen raspberries should be boiled before eaten according to new advice from Sweden's National Food Agency, which warns that the berries may carry the novo virus that is more known for causing winter vomiting disease. READ () »
Body of lonely Swedish patient forgotten for days
A deceased patient who had no relatives was left in a room for five days at the Örebro University Hospital before staff realized the body was still there. READ () »
Scab row as students disrupt bus strike
Stockholm bus traffic was at a standstill Wednesday as drivers launched a major strike at midnight, but a group of Conservative youths disrupted the action by replacing a bus route between two of the city's major hospitals. READ () »
Tax bill for politician's ties to far-right site
Sweden Democrat MP Kent Ekeroth has to pay tax for money sent to his bank account as donations to two far-right websites that he claims to have nothing to do with editorially. READ () »
Top ten ways you know you've turned Swedish
For some foreigners living in Sweden, a natural "inner Swede" can develop that often doesn't show its face until you're back home again. The Local's Patrick Reilly lists the top ten ways this inner Swede can change your life. READ () »
- 19/06 Swedish addicts could get glass 'free zone' »
- 19/06 EU probes SAS airline over state aid »
- 19/06 Jeepers creepers, your shoes hurt my peepers »
- 19/06 Frozen raspberries could spread vomiting bug »
- 19/06 Body of lonely Swedish patient forgotten for days »
- 19/06 Scab row as students disrupt bus strike »
- 19/06 Tax bill for politician's ties to far-right site »
- 19/06 Sweden to send 160 troops in Mali mission »
- 19/06 Extreme-right sites beat political party pages »
- 18/06 Transport chaos threatens Midsummer »
- 19/06 Dentist cut off own finger for insurance cash »
- 19/06 Nuclear cuts top Obama's Berlin speech »
More news from Germany at thelocal.de
- 19/06 Breakthough in hunt for serial arsonist in Brittany »
- 19/06 France maps out defence for war on mosquitos »
More news from France at thelocal.fr
- 19/06 Norwegian airline to offer free water on long flights »
- 18/06 American tourist dies in Arctic cruise mishap »
More news from Norway at thelocal.no
- 19/06 Murderer jailed for life 15 years after stabbing man »
- 19/06 MPs quash deal with US over tax evasion »
More news from Switzerland at thelocal.ch
In cooperation with DoToday
Register now for:
> Free use of noticeboard
> Special discounts
> Weekly news roundup
> Unlimited use of discuss
- GE Money Bank söker en senior riskanalytiker
- Lighting Category Director
- Senior Electrical Engineer
- Senior Manager/Manager with Finance, Risk & Regulatory experience within Banking and Capital Markets
- Solution Architect to Teracom Group
- Staff Engineer
- Strong Developer within Java to 3!
- Development Engineer Polymer Materials
- Goodyear Dunlop Tires Nordic - Head of Business Control
- Platform Manager
Kentucky’s Bourbon Royalty Visits Sweden »
"He's not a celebrity in Sweden, but everyone in Kentucky knows the name Fred Noe. Even more people know the name of his great-grandfather, Jim Beam." READ »
- 13/6 22:03 This weeks results..week 24/25 (Stripes News)
- 05/6 13:52 The Golden Thread (The Diplomatic Dispatch)
- 29/5 09:11 IKEA UK: Swedish furniture giant stomps gnomes. (Boston Blatte)
- GE Money Bank söker en senior riskanalytiker
- Lighting Category Director
- Senior Electrical Engineer
- Senior Manager/Manager with Finance, Risk & Regulatory experience within Banking and Capital Markets
- Solution Architect to Teracom Group
- Staff Engineer
- Strong Developer within Java to 3!
- Development Engineer Polymer Materials
- Goodyear Dunlop Tires Nordic - Head of Business Control
- Platform Manager
- 23:59 Campervan in -30?
- 22:35 Romanian beggers everywhere in Stockholm
- 17:02 Exchanging a old car for a new one, taxes?
- 16:29 Gothenburg road tax
- 16:05 A funny pic about Jimmie Åkesson
- 15:03 Swedish rail strike
- 14:30 Planning on moving to Sweden from USA
- 14:25 Is Edward Snowden Victim Of Chinese Honey-Trap?
- 14:00 TMI (Travel Medical Insurance) companies in Sweden
- 13:03 BBC TV property show looking for participants!
Create an account with Banc De Binary, the world’s most reputable binary options firm, and start cashing in today! You can start by practicing with our free $50,000 demo account.
www.bbinary.com
Expat counsellor & talk therapist offers counselling for stress, relationship issues, sexuality, culture adjustment & life coaching. Private & confidential. Stockholm or Skype. Contact me today! 08-559 22 636 or
CLICK HERE
Find products and services that are specifically focused on English speakers living in Sweden!
FULL DETAILS
Individuals & Couples - Stockholm Beth Rogerson PhD - Clinical, Marriage & Family Therapist
Click or call 08-5580 1266 now
Your comments about this article:
The comments below have not been moderated in advance and are not produced by The Local unless clearly stated. Readers are responsible for the content of their own comments. Comments that breach our terms and conditions will be removed.
Sweden provides its citsens opportunities to study in universities and be what they want. These opportunities are open even to minorities!
In the US opportunity to enter universities and dvelop skills is limited to those born in poverty. University tution and subsistance costs are too high for young people to afford without financial support. There is also the problem of quality of education at the primary and secondary school levels. Poor areas have little capacity to raise revenue and fund their schools adequately. In slum areas high school students might not be able to read properly. The only outlet for young people is the military and the industrial military complex makes that possible. Soon it is possible that Iran might be a target of aggression. If it is invaded, plenty of job opportunities will be created for the poor in the US. The same cannot be said of the victim countries. America's miliary power destroys sources of livelihood by bombing economic infrastructures, bridges and water supplies or forcing the skilled people to migrate. As in Iraq ,millions of Iranians might escape to the neighboring countries. Some might even come to Europe, looking for jobs and secure place to live.
Thus, war is also counterproductive for the West even when it is capable of winning them! Those who do not see it this way is the military industrial complex, which profits from war and destruction!
Where do they apply?
PS: I am serious, if there is jobs going, post the details. Quitea few people I know back home have lost jobs. Quite a few of them would have no problem joining the Swedish military.
@ Kronaboy
Your comment is nonsense.
There is some racism in some units in the British military which has been mostly stamped out now. The British military has been systematically identifying racists and kicking them out of the military with dishonourable discharges. There has never been a racist unit.
There will be more than enough volunteers for the army in the future. Just as there has been in the past.