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Tanks, guns and bras: Norway's women join the draft (What would Trump think?)
The Local ^ | Published: 25 Aug 2016 08:51 GMT+02:00 | The Local

Posted on 09/09/2016 7:42:41 AM PDT by Eurotwit

They sweat together, they sleep together: in the name of gender equality, Norway has introduced compulsory military service for women, even bunking them in mixed dorms with their brothers-in-arms.

The military's gender balance is not entirely equal yet, but almost a third of the Norwegian army conscripts born in 1997 were women this summer.

At the Setermoen army base just above the Arctic Circle, new recruits in an armoured battalion are learning to handle assault rifles for use on combat missions. Here and there, long ponytails stick out behind the recruits' caps.

"It gives me a bigger recruitment pool to choose from," the battalion's chief, Lieutenant Colonel Pal Berglund, says of the new gender equal draft.

"I'm still looking for the same competence I always have. And for me it's obvious that this competence is also present within a large part of the female population of Norway."

Norwegian women have been able to volunteer for military service for almost 40 years now, helping to gradually feminize the armed forces. The military welcomed its first female helicopter pilot, female jet fighter pilot and female submarine commander already in the early 1990s.

Unisex dorms But in 2013, at a time when the prime minister was none other than current Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, a virtually unanimous parliament passed a law applying military conscription to both sexes.

The Scandinavian country -- where four of the last five defence ministers have been women -- has thus become the first North Atlantic Treaty Organization member and European country to draft both men and women, joining a tiny group of countries around the world, including Israel.

"In operations, it's an advantage having females. They have access to parts of the population that men don't have, for instance for intelligence gathering," says Berglund.

The army needs less than 10,000 new recruits each year, far fewer than the 60,000 who are liable to be called up. That means that only the most motivated will actually be asked to serve, in a country where military service is often seen as a personal accomplishment highly valued on the job market.

"It enables you to cut the umbilical cord. It's good that girls and boys get the same opportunities," says new conscript Marianne Westum.

"I'm aiming to become much more independent, to learn to work as a team member, to make friends from other walks of life. Basically to become more grown-up."

The 18-year-old shares living quarters with another woman and four men. Camouflage gear and a military-issued flask are neatly organized in a metal cupboard, only a bra and handbag indicating the presence of a woman.

Is it not tempting fate to throw young men and women together in unisex bunks?

"We see that exposure to each other increases tolerance, acceptance and understanding toward each other," insists Nina Hellum, a researcher at the Norwegian Research Defence Establishment.

"You don't shit in your own nest. You don't want to have sex and fraternize with anyone in your room for example or in your small unit because that makes it quite awkward."

A 2014 study showed that unisex dormitories helped combat sexual harassment thanks to a phenomenon of "de-genderization". Sharing living quarters makes both the men and women pay more attention to their behaviour, and thus they're able to develop a camaraderie, an almost sibling-like relationship, the study's authors claimed.

"In the beginning we were a little shy. We didn't really know how to behave around the girls. But once the initial awkwardness had passed, we relaxed and the girls were soon just like us," says a young male recruit, Kasper Sjavag.

Being mixed together with the guys "means that when it comes to performance, I really push my limits and can get used to working harder to keep up," says Kasper's female roommate, Gine Grimsbu.

"From a social aspect, the guys treat us well and they're respectful. There are a few who aren't used to being with girls but I think it'll be fine."

A recent survey conducted by the Norwegian army showed that an overwhelming majority of female soldiers are in favour of unisex dorms. But 18 percent still said they had been subjected to inappropriate comments or behaviour.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: norway
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To: Eurotwit

Why just post to me? At least two others are wondering.


21 posted on 09/09/2016 8:16:34 AM PDT by miss marmelstein (Richard the Third: With my own people alone I should like to drive away the Muslims)
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To: miss marmelstein

Well if you beg my pardon miss marmelstein,

I like you :)


22 posted on 09/09/2016 8:17:57 AM PDT by Eurotwit (If the election is about Hillary, she will lose - if about Trump, he will lose.)
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To: BenLurkin

I recall that the Norwegian contingent marching in the D-Day anniversary ceremony looked like a gay dance team.


It’s all war games for European socialists. They don’t intent to actually fight a war with these soldier babes. That’s why the Euros poop the bed when Putinist Russia invades its neighbors and kills thousands. They’d much rather surrender then fight for traditional western values.


23 posted on 09/09/2016 8:25:11 AM PDT by lodi90 (Clear choice for Conservatives now: TRUMP or lose)
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To: Eurotwit

Women are not completly helpless and i don`t think any one ever said they were, but men and women bunking together? i know me and i would be awake all night thinking about those women over in the next bunk that had bodies like women.

The problem is that women want to take mens jobs for no other reason than spite. i have been a frieght hauler for many years and i have not saw even one woman who could do a half dencent job of running a fork lift. and very few that could do a dencent job of driving a truck even though there are many out there on trucks.

But if a woman does something half as good as a man she gets twice the praise for it.

I have saw a few that are real good, and no it was not my wife and i did not teach her.


24 posted on 09/09/2016 8:26:18 AM PDT by ravenwolf (If the Bible does not say it in plain words, please don`t preach it to me.)
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To: Eurotwit

They all look like my sisters and cousins.


25 posted on 09/09/2016 8:26:44 AM PDT by Travis T. OJustice ( I live with a Fierce Allegiance)
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To: BenLurkin

Uff da.


26 posted on 09/09/2016 8:27:53 AM PDT by Travis T. OJustice ( I live with a Fierce Allegiance)
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To: Right Brother
Just what every country needs....pretty female soldiers. Pure idiocy.

Actually, it's brilliant! Think about it:

If you lose to the Norwegian army - you suck, you lost to a bunch of GIRLS!

If you win - so what, you just were fighting a bunch of GIRLS!

Either way - you lose! Brilliant, I must say - who's going to want to pick a fight that you simply cannot win?

27 posted on 09/09/2016 8:33:46 AM PDT by Shanghai Dan (I ride a GS scooter with my hair cut neat...)
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To: Varda

“Speaking from an anthropological point of view, this is what dying cultures do.”

Yes. But note it is government force-—the psychopathic globalists get to play chess with the WHOLE population, just not the young males. They can force the women into their globalist plans now.

It is all socialist engineering to destroy Natural instincts in males and females—to destroy dignity in male and female-—make it meaningless (like sex is now in the USA to teenagers).

It is to force a Marxist worldview where there is no role for female or males (no dignity in male or female natures). They will become totally interchangeable like in Mao’s China (just pure slaves), and children will be raised by the State so they can control all their perceptions -—like they do to the lemmings in all communists/socialist nations now—just slaves of the psychopathic sodomites who want the children for human sacrifice and orgies at their altars to Ba’al.

It is Marxism in action—to destroy individuality (identity of male and female which is the determining factor of the individual.). Create irrational children who have no maternal instincts—which always destroys cultures-—like in America where women in their 30s are still childless and unmarried-—unheard of 100 years ago in the such high numbers. But it is the Marxist conditioning of our children and TV/Movies—to group and embed hate for the “Other” (so maturity and (true) love are impossible).

Romance, Chivalry—everthing which led to the unity and love of the sexes is being destroyed on purpose to make life like in a communist kibbutz....the most homosexual (communist) city in the World is in Israel....not San Frencisco-—google Tel Aviv sometime. Their communist/socialization kills the male/female relationship perfected by Christianity which created Free Will and dignity in Individual Natural Rights from God. Now the State of Norway is God. They have complete control of all their little lemmings/slaves who bow to the Norse idols.

Oh, but the little boys and girls are conditioned at birth to “think” it is so “good” that male and female has no distinction-—just interchangeable drones controlled by others to kill and maim.

This is all psychological manipulation to destroy all Natural instincts so the State can force an artificial “utopia”-—that is totally irrational and complete slavery. No Free Will whatsoever, and conditioned by the “culture” at birth, so they don’t even know they are “happy” slaves of the State (a few elite psychopathic sodomites).


28 posted on 09/09/2016 8:56:29 AM PDT by savagesusie (When Law ceases to be Just, it ceases to be Law. (Thomas A./Founders/John Marshall)/Nuremberg)
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To: Eurotwit

The Shield Maidens are BACK!


29 posted on 09/09/2016 9:01:18 AM PDT by Candor7 ( Obama fascism article:(http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/05/barack_obama_the_quintessentia_1.html)
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To: Chainmail

They have sent some troops to the middle east, but their last real action was in WWII.

They surrendered to the Germans in thirty days and were occupied until the end of the war.


30 posted on 09/09/2016 9:21:30 AM PDT by yuleeyahoo (Those are my principles, and if you do not like them...well I have others. - Groucho Marx)
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To: Eurotwit

While serving in Bosnia I had the opportunity to train with a Norwegian infantry squad. The squad leader was an attractive, blonde, petite female, and she was a very competent leader. We conducted a live fire range, and she conducted the pre-marksmanship instruction with me on the G3 rifle. Following training, we returned to our camp, and my Mayor’s Cell arranged billeting for the squad. My XO was in charge of officer billeting on camp, and told her that he had arranged a spot in one of the female sea huts. She responded “that won’t be necessary, I sleep with my men!” My XO enjoyed retelling that story!


31 posted on 09/09/2016 9:32:06 AM PDT by utdutt (Which is harder?)
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To: Chainmail
actually, when was the last time Norway fought anybody? How'd they do?)

World War II, and they did pretty good considering the German forces lined up against them. They provided medical units and ships during the Korean War and the Gulf War so they didn't really fight anyone then.

32 posted on 09/09/2016 9:40:53 AM PDT by DoodleDawg
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To: NonValueAdded

33 posted on 09/09/2016 10:01:03 AM PDT by bkopto
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To: wastoute

“Two, right off the bat I would suspect survival in Arctic warfare favors those with a body surface are to volume ratio more consistent with a large guy than a smaller female.”


As one who had a Norwegian girlfriend and visisted the country in the 1980’s, rest assured there are PLENTY of tall Norwegian women. Any kind of big-boned too.

I was shocked at how big the average Norwegian woman was, and that was nearly 30 years ago.

I suspect a lot of them could beat the crap out of me and I was 5’ 10’’ and about 170 then and in very good shape.

You survive their normal climate and then get back to me.


34 posted on 09/09/2016 10:05:34 AM PDT by LRoggy (Peter's Son's Business)
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To: Eurotwit

I suspect that a lot of the critics of this here have never bothered to look at the Israeli military, which does pretty well with female troops.


35 posted on 09/09/2016 10:07:51 AM PDT by LRoggy (Peter's Son's Business)
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To: DoodleDawg; yuleeyahoo

My point exactly. Their limited involvement in combat and subsequent protection by NATO allows them to enjoy coed camp outs without troubling themselves with reality.

We, on the other remember - or should remember Betio and Iwo and Hurtgens Forest and Normany and the Chosin reservoir and Hue City and Fallujah. War isn’t anyplace for giggling couples and cutesy experiments.


36 posted on 09/09/2016 10:30:09 AM PDT by Chainmail (A simple rule of life: if you can be blamed, you're responsible.)
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To: Eurotwit

Only works with metro and faggy guys.

Nothing good comes from this kind of crap. They are not brothers and sisters. May be easier to avoid if everyone is unattractive, but that’s subjective and under stress that can change.

Not a good situation. Women cannot talk the way they want to and men cannot talk the way they want to in mixed company and expect the women won’t get pissed off.


37 posted on 09/09/2016 12:08:28 PM PDT by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; Not averse to Going Bronson.)
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