Dirt everywhere. Dirt even where it did not exist before. Carolina Iversen (Iversen Caroline) laughs, making his way through the obstacle course. The first six months after the introduction of compulsory military service for women show that girls from dropping out of the army less than men.
Form is dirty, since all crossed the stream, and recruits excited after overcoming obstacles. The platoon was divided into team. Each team — a log, a backpack and two boxes of tools. The commander said that none of the outstanding items cannot be drop.
August 2016, camp Madelain (Madlaleiren), a school for recruits of the naval forces of Norway “Harald Fairhair” (the first king of Norway, born in 850 and died in 933 g. — approx. ed.), the first impression about equal conscription for women and men. Part of the 6th platoon includes 12 of the 344 women in Madulain.
One of them is Hannah Grinning Eyck (Hanna Grønning Eik) from Stavanger. She was 18, she came here from school, from school to senior level in Yotto (Jåttå), sports specialty. “I was surprised that so many of us in the same room, but we get along well with each other, we have a good relationship,” says Eyck.
But the obstacle course was harder than they expected.
Summer has finally come in Rogaland (Rogaland — one of the provinces in the West of Norway — approx. ed.). The sun is shining, the thermometer shows 17 degrees.
Eyck and the other girls on her team are ready to start running with a log on his shoulders and a backpack. The first obstacle that has to overcome the recruits — both men and women, and with all the cargo is a high wall. The log must not touch the ground or obstacles.
Facts: compulsory military service
In July and August 2016 for the first time women got to school for recruits in accordance with the law on universal conscription for both sexes.
Just called 913 2472 women and men.
The Assembly points were 907 women eventually left 856.
On Christmas eve the number had dropped to 798, i.e. 12.6%.
Obstacle course
The key to success on the obstacle course — cooperation. If the commander will be unhappy, exercise will have to be repeated. Finally, the team broke the wall and ran ahead. The heads of new recruits flowing sweat. Team Hannah Grinning Eyck looks towards the forest, they run, but don’t know where the next obstacle, and what it is.
Stop at the high post, which is strung tires. Tires should be removed from the post, put on a log, and then return to the place. Far behind in the forest heard the screams of the team, which started a little later.
Shouting louder, they’re coming!
“Now pick up all over his head. Come on!” — shouts the officer. Team number two caught up with them, she has to wait.
“Can’t,” shouts Eyck. Exercises are very heavy, the log was slippery like it was lubricated with soap, hot recruits.
In the end, the team coped with the task and runs further into the forest. Near the gravel — silt the Creek. Given the command to crawl through the Creek, recruits all the time remind us that the items issued to them should not touch the ground. Panting, the team sneaks forward, but slowly. That life did not seem honey, the commander tells him to do push-UPS right in the Creek. The sweat on her face mixed with the dirty sludge of weak water flow. Form is filled with muddy water.
When the recruits rise, the water flows in streams, and the silt remains.
Now the team must wait until the stream does not come out all the rest. The main thing — not to lag behind, because then you hurt the whole team. The new recruits barely have time to breath, but they were waiting for a new challenge.
Their task is to string on all the same beam, small tires from the tractor to roll it up the hill and then come down. Tires are heavy, as if made of lead, but the team is working cohesively.
Only the commander knows how many they still have the test before the obstacle course is over. The recruits are tired, they should go all out at each stage and thus save a little at last sat down. All run to the gathering place. As a last exercise, they are arranged in a line and doing squats with a log, which is maintained at a level abdomen.
“When the obstacle course ended, I thought I would pass it better, but really we have no one could. It was hard, but it’s great that my unit worked as a team,” says Hannah Grinning Eyck. Her roommate Caroline Iversen from Drammen said that it was much harder than she thought. In the beginning she felt that it would be very difficult. And the worst part was that they didn’t know when it ends.
Conscription for women
From 1 January 2015 Norway introduced compulsory military service for women. After an appeal on July 26 2016 in the school of recruits, the Norwegian Navy “Harald Fairhair” in Medle were 1146 new recruits, among them 344 girls.
Across the country for military service called 913 girls. Many an army was difficult.
“We saw a completely different reaction than before, like: “Well, nothing to do, we should be here”,” — says the leader of the soldiers Sigurd Svendsen (Sigurd Svendsen) the correspondent of Aftenposten. The reporter also interviewed major Sigrid Storedate, Engebretsen-Skaret (Sigrid Sturladatter Engebretsen-Skaret) of the military police. Girls comprise half of the recruits who came here at the call last summer.
“It turned out that the girls is extremely important to obtain information about “what is happening to me”, know what emergency service,” she says. The major explains that some female recruits drop out due to injuries, which they had initially. But still the dropout rate among girls is much lower than among men. Before Christmas he was demobilized 12.6% of women and 18.8% of men.
Sigurd Svendsen drew attention to the heated debate about the common rooms for women and men.
“Many wanted it. When it became clear that to understand other easier, guys have less to think about what they boys and girls that they are girls,” he says.
© flickr.com, MetzikerВоенный camp for women in Norway
Training point
Studying in the camp Madl lasts 6-8 weeks. During this time, recruits receive weapons skills, is a soldier’s training, doing drill exercises, learn fighting techniques and sanitation. Of course, great attention is paid to different kinds of physical training.
It’s been two weeks after the call, but to leave the camp none of the recruits are not allowed. At 13:45 on Friday, August 5, assigned to the build. The form must be in perfect condition. First recruits check their clothes, then the clothes of a comrade. The distance between the forehead and the beret should be two finger.
“You have to control the look of your comrades, try,” says the officer.
When the form is put in order, new recruits with straight backs marching towards the place of gathering, where all departments are lined up perfectly in neat rows. They stand side by side, waiting for the command of the camp.
No one makes a single sound. She could hear footsteps, they’re coming. You receive guidance, wishes everyone a good weekend and asked to monitor their behavior in town, because they are the representatives of the camp. Because they are the same in shape.
The commander sings: “In South Australia I was born”.
“Heave away, haul away” echoed all standing on the parade ground recruits.
“In South Australia round Cape Horn,” continues the commander.
“Were bound for South Australia”.
After the song I wish you all a good weekend, and those who leave to go home, go for the Luggage. Weekend almost everyone went home. Almost everyone who lives in the same room with Hanna Grinning Eyck and Caroline Iversen, a native of Stavanger, so they go far.
The facts: the daily routine
05:30 — rise
05:50 — Wake-up/construction on the street
05:54 — hygienic procedures
06:45 — Breakfast
07:30 — the construction of the street, checking
08:00 — start of the day
12:20 — lunch
13:05 — continuation of lessons/training
16:50 — dinner
17:30 — free time or continuation classes
Party
At six o’clock on Friday in one of the houses of Kannick in Stavanger party. Hannah Grinning Eyck invited all who did not go home on leave. The corridor is full of the same shoes. Bathroom on the second floor are occupied by girls who put on makeup. In the living room and in the kitchen a bunch of new recruits in the same form, they are talking to each other, dancing and singing. Loud music playing old and new hits.
When living in one room several people, the problem arises because some go to bed early, and others later. “Those who retire early, can’t sleep because others do not want to sleep, and for example play cards,” says Iversen.
Eyck glad that their room was only twelve, otherwise could cause problems.
Carolina Iversen admits that actually she is not so lacking in some household items. Well, except a hair dryer, possibility to sleep longer in the morning and my own bed.
“I think it would be much more strict, so strict that I could even cry when I thought about it. Thought will thoroughly check the cabinets every morning, but it is not. The morning is such a small check, look whether dry sink, if removed in the room if there is dust on the windowsill and the lamp,” says Eyck.
Little cosmetics
“Our platoon said that hair should be in braids braid or gather into a bundle, so they don’t get out from under the beret. We are used to not wearing makeup, there’s just no time in the morning,” admits Eyck.
“To the form can also be used, it’s a bit large but quite comfortable. But what happiness in the evening to change into normal clothing,” she says with a smile.
“The pants will eventually become great, but nobody here cares about how your butt looks,” adds Iversen.
Long days
The days of rookies is long, but varied. The girls in the room done playing the fool. The mood is calm, everyone is tired — and from business, and from the impressions of the day.
Some are already in bed with sleep mask on the face and the music in the headphones, so as not to interfere giggle and chatter at the card table.
The game is over. Turn out the lights. After a few hours it will be necessary again to put on the form, and the only difference will be the name on the jacket.
