Recruits face longer spell in boot camp

Recruits join up for 15 weeks of basic training Keystone

Around 19,000 young men and women in Switzerland have begun basic army training this week - the last intake to enjoy a 15-week course.

From next year, training for the country’s militia army will be extended by up to six weeks, as part of the country’s army reform programme.

Jean-Luc Piller, spokesman for Switzerland’s land forces, told swissinfo that the army had prepared for a 15 to 20 per cent increase in applications from recruits eager to take advantage of the shorter training regime.

The Swiss army has reserved space in nuclear bunkers, gymnasiums and private homes to make up for a possible shortfall of beds.

Urs Trachsel, the commander of Switzerland’s largest army training centre in Thun, said some 300 of his recruits could be forced to stay in alternative housing.

The recruits, including 87 women, have all pledged to stay clear of drugs and not to drink alcohol during military service.

The defence ministry was forced to take action following revelations last year of drug use by conscripts.

Fewer soldiers

Under the reform programme – called Army XXI – the Swiss army will become smaller in an effort to reduce costs. At the same time more professional training programmes will be introduced.

In May, the Swiss voted in favour of government proposals to reduce the size of the country’s militia army by a third from 350,000 to around 220,000 soldiers.

The age of Swiss men required to do military service was also lowered from 42 to 36 years.

The Swiss militia army works on the basis of universal conscription. In principle, all Swiss men have to serve in the army while women can join the armed forces on a voluntary basis.

The reforms are being seen as a move by the government to take into account the unlikelihood of Switzerland’s involvement in a war.

swissinfo

Key facts

19,233 recruits started training on Monday.
87 of these are women.
70% of the recruits are from German-speaking Switzerland, 25% from French-speaking, 5% from Italian-speaking.
Recruit school is followed in most cases by ten refresher courses at two-year intervals.
The number of days to be served depends on the rank: a private serves 300 days, a colonel on the general staff 1,300.