Why Does Sweden Return to Compulsory Military Service?

• 09.30.2016, 16:53
•  Europe,  World

In Sweden a government commission has suggested to return to military service at the call in 2018. In favor of this decision is the Ministry of Defence, whose head Peter Hultquist stated that this will allow to find the way to a more stable, reliable and effective method of managing the armed forces.

According to the Guardian, if the final decision is made, the next year the boys and girls born in 1999 and 2000 will have to fill a necessary form. In the future, the defense Ministry will decide on the number of recruits depending on how many recruits will be needed in the army. On average, this figure will annually amount to about four thousand, and in 2022 could increase to eight thousand.

Sweden for the first time in 109 years refused mandatory military service in 2010. However, the government came to the conclusion that the deterioration of the security situation in the country and the weakening of the fighting efficiency of the army require new measures.

Earlier it was reported that 62% of Swedes would support the proposal to conscription for both men and women, according to Swedish newspaper the Local.

In Sweden there have not been any military conflicts over the past two centuries. It should be noted also that Sweden is not a NATO member. However, Partnership Agreement for Peace program between Sweden and NATO was signed in 1994.

As for women in an army, they have always played many roles in the military throughout history, from ancient warrior women, to the women currently serving in the army, even though the vast majority of all combatants have been men in every culture.

In Europe today, women serve in Norway, Britain, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany and France.

Norway is the only European country where women serve in the army on a mandatory basis. Such a law was adopted in the country in 2014. Norwegian women’s military service term is limited to one year.

Czech women fought during WWII with distinctions as medical personnel, phone operators, and anti-aircraft gun crews. They served in the Czechoslovakian unit in the Soviet Union, in the British Women Auxiliary Air Forces in the United Kingdom and the British Army in the Middle East. Now, they have become an integral part of the Czech Armed Forces and some of their positions proved to be indispensable, especially those in the Air Force, the Wonderslist reports.

British women in turn have been integrated into the British Armed Forces since the early 1990s; however, they remain excluded from primarily combat units in the Army, Royal Marines, and Royal Air Force Regiment.

As for Polish Army, currently, there are around 2,500 women in the Polish armed forces, and all women have the same rights as men to join and serve in the Polish Army, Navy, Air Force and Special Forces.

Interestingly, last year, the Armenian Parliament deputy Tevan Poghosyan took the initiative to make military service compulsory for Armenian women.

''Women should not only perform compulsory military training at school, but also be able to handle a  weapon and be prepared to defend themselves'' – Poghosyan told Rusarminfo.

The MP stressed that his proposal had nothing to do with the current state of the Armenian Armed Forces, as there is no lack of military men in the Armenian army.