Logo: to the web site of the Swedish Defence University

Försvarsmakten befinner sig i en tillväxtfas där ökade volymer av värnpliktiga accentuerar den redan ansträngda befälsförsörjningen av organisationen. Organisationen står inför utmaningen att rekrytera bland de värnpliktiga till de olika officersutbildningarna, samtidigt som det också finns ett omgående behov av befäl för att kunna omhänderta och utbilda de totalförsvarspliktiga som utgör framtidens personalstyrka. I samband med återinförandet av värnplikten återintroducerades även kategorierna värnpliktiga plutonsbefäl och gruppbefäl. Syftet med denna studie är att inhämta erfarenheter om den utbildning med fullständigt försteg som dessa värnpliktiga befäl genomgår, liksom viljan till fortsatt engagemang i Försvarsmakten. Tolv värnpliktiga befälsrekryter vid ett förband som återinfört kategorierna intervjuades i fokusgrupper i september 2022 respektive maj 2023. Intervjuerna analyserades genom tematisk analys. Resultaten visar att erfarenheterna varierade, främst beroende på mottagandet och omhändertagandet på kompanierna. Förstegsutbildningen betraktades som övervägande lärorik och av hög kvalitet. Utmaningar uppstod kring otydlighet i roller och befogenheter, bristande kunskap om de nya befälskategorierna inom förbandet samt varierande bemötande. Personliga utmaningar kunde hanteras, medan strukturella hinder ansågs svårare att överkomma. Att inte nyttjas till sin fulla kapacitet skapade frustration, samtidigt som hög motivation och engagemang reflekterades i denna upplevelse. Motivationen att fortsätta engagemanget inom Försvarsmakten påverkades av faktorer relaterat till organisationens erbjudande, jobbets karaktär och omvärldsläge. 'Plats' var en dubbelverkande påverkansfaktor där flexibilitet och mobilitet lockade, samtidigt som avstånd och dess påverkan på det civila livet påverkade attraktiviteten negativt. Motivationsfaktorerna var kopplade till hur man uppfattade olika karriärvägar inom Försvarsmakten. Den vertikala respektive horisontella dimensionen av karriärutvecklingen påverkade intresset för de olika officerskategorierna, medan brist på tidig information skapade osäkerhet kring karriärval och möjligheter. Rapporten avslutas med ett antal rekommendationer ämnade att förbättra effekten av värnpliktsutbildningen ytterligare samt öka motivationen till fortsatt engagemang, vilket i förlängningen kan ha positiv påverkan på den militära förmågan.

The Swedish Armed Forces are in a growth phase where increased volumes of conscripts accentuate the already strained supply of officers to the organization. The organization is facing the challenge of recruiting among the conscripts for the various officer training programs, while there is also an immediate need for officers to be able to take care of and train the conscripts who constitute the personnel of the future. In connection with the reintroduction of conscription, the categories of conscript platoon commanders and group commanders were also reintroduced. The purpose of this study is to gather the experiences of the training with complete advantage that these conscripted officers undergo, as well as the desire for continued involvement in the Swedish Armed Forces. Twelve conscript officer recruits at one of the military units that have reintroduced conscripted commanders were interviewed in focus groups in September 2022 and May 2023. The interviews were analysed through thematic analysis. The results indicate that experiences varied primarily based on the reception and treatment within the companies. The initial training was considered predominantly educational and of high quality. Challenges arose regarding ambiguity in roles and responsibilities, lack of knowledge about the new officer categories within the unit, and varying treatment. Personal challenges could be managed, while structural obstacles were perceived as more difficult to overcome. Inadequate utilization of one’s full capacity led to frustration, while high motivation and commitment was reflected in this experience. The motivation to continue commitment within the Armed Forces was influenced by factors related to the organization's offerings, job nature, and the global situation. 'Location' was a dual-impact factor where flexibility and mobility were attractive, while distance and its impact on civilian life negatively affected attractiveness. Motivational factors were linked to perceptions of different career paths within the Armed Forces. The vertical and horizontal dimensions of career development connected to the different officer categories influenced interest, while a lack of early information created uncertainty about career choices and the options available. The report concludes with some recommendations intended to further improve the effect of conscription training and increase motivation for continued commitment, which in the long run can have a positive impact on military capability.

Although the last few decades have witnessed a shift from conscription to all-volunteer forces in many European countries, recent changes in the European security environment have raised new concerns and prompted several countries to reconsider conscription. However, modern conscription systems have also had to adapt to changing societies and an increasing emphasis on individualistic and neoliberal values. This study aims to examine the various forms of military conscription and illuminate the continuing viability of the conscription model in six European countries: Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland. Four of these countries have consistently maintained conscription (Estonia, Finland, Norway, and Switzerland), while Lithuania and Sweden have recently reinstated conscription. Although conscription systems differ among these countries, there is overall an increasing emphasis on conscript motivation and female participation. Three key aspects are identified to describe different conscription systems: the proportion of conscripted individuals in the birth cohort, motivation to serve, and the approach to female conscripts. Combining these aspects, the study identifies three types of conscription system in these six countries. This article demonstrates that conscription has evolved and adapted to changing societies and security situations instead of merely retaining its traditional form.

Background:

The Swedish Armed Forces (SAF) have had difficulties in recruiting a sufficient amount of cadets to the officer program during the period with an all-volunteer force.

Participants and procedure:

Data were collected from different officer programs. 318 respondents fostered in the all-volunteer force (AVF) system completed the questionnaire and a cross-sectional design was used where cadets received a questionnaire at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of their training.

Results:

The results show that the informants perceived a clear distinction between leadership challenges in the short and long term. The cadets rate their practical knowledge/experience and gaining trust as most challenging in the short term, and personnel supply and reorganization in the long term. Younger cadets rate leadership challenges higher than older cadets do, which is in line with maturing as a human being and gaining more experience. Results based on personality were consistent with previous studies. Two of the future challenges for cadets, short-term leadership and knowledge challenges, showed associations with extraversion and neuroticism.

Conclusions:

The results illustrate important topics to be stressed during the three year long officer program, in order to prepare cadets both with knowledge and skills but also with confidence and trust. This is of particular importance as the need to increase the number of cadets graduating from the academic officer program is growing. It implies that more and more cadets will be recruited directly from the basic military training, i.e., being young with relatively low military and leadership experience.

In recent years, interest in the different ways in which military employment affects individuals’ work-life balance (WLB) has grown. At the same time, research on military organizations and personnel has increasingly included time-related factors such as deploy-to-dwell (D2D) ratios to help explain adverse health effects of overseas deployments. The aim of this article is to explore connections between organizational systems for regulating deployment frequency and dwell (or respite) time with a particular focus on potential consequences for work-life balance. We focus on personal and organizational factors that shape the nature and outcome of work-life balance, including stress, mental health problems, job satisfaction, and turnover intentions. To explore these links, we first provide an overview of research on the impact of deploy-to-dwell ratios on mental health and social relations. We then turn to the regulation and organization of deployment and dwell time in Scandinavia. Here, the ambition is to identify potential sources of work-life conflict and associated effects for deployed personnel. The results provide a basis for further research into time-related effects of military deployments.