Thousands of new Swiss army recruits will learn how to salute and carry their automatic rifle from the safety of their homes this month. The army has imposed a “work-from-home” regulation for compulsory basic training due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
This content was published on
2 minutes
RTS/sb
Português
pt
Covid força recrutas do exército suíço a treinar em casa
Half of the 12,000 recruits preparing to enter service on January 18 will start their basic military training at home via an online app, Swiss public television, RTS, reported on Friday.
The decision was taken to reduce the risk of Covid-19 infection among troops.
The 6,000 new recruits will be expected to train at home six hours a day for three weeks via a special app. A weekly four-hour physical training programme is also planned.
“These are individual exercises to be done at home. The application indicates the programme to be followed,” explained army spokesperson Daniel Reist.
After three weeks of distance learning, recruits will join other colleagues on February 8. But they will first have to pass a Covid-19 test. They will also be required to take knowledge and physical tests to ensure they have completed the online programme. If they fail, they will have to make up for it at weekends in the barracks.
Reduction of troops
“We hope the guidelines will be followed. They are counted as days of service and recruits are paid,” Reist said.
In the army barracks recruits will continue to follow strict hygiene rules similar to last year.
Switzerland’s militia armed forces system obliges most men to undertake basic military training at the age of 18 and then attend regular refresher courses. Basic training lasts 18 weeks followed by six refresher courses of three weeks each.
Reforms implemented in 2018 have reduced the number of Swiss troops on active duty from 140,000 to 100,000. Around 10,000 are professionals, the rest are conscripts or volunteers. Military service is voluntary for women, who currently number around 1,000.
Most Read Swiss Abroad
More
Swiss politicians concerned by Ukraine peace conference
What measures have been taken to prevent floods in your area?
Have you ever experienced a flood event? Have you witnessed a significant increase in flooding where you live? What measures have been taken in your country to prevent recurrent flooding? Are these measures effective?
Switzerland condemns attempted military coup in Bolivia
This content was published on
The Swiss foreign ministry condemned the attempted coup, as well as any attempt to undermine the lawful government of Bolivia.
Gotthard Base Tunnel on track to fully re-open in September
This content was published on
Rail operations through the vital tunnel will resume in full on September 2, with repair work in the west tube going as planned, Swiss Federal Railways has said.
Swiss Broadcasting Corporation to pull plug on FM radio
This content was published on
Amid a shift to digital and online radio, the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation will switch off analogue FM transmitters at the end of December.
Bern and Biel/Bienne enter the Swiss race to host Eurovision 2025
This content was published on
Swiss cities are jostling to host next year's Eurovision Song Contest (ESC): Geneva, Basel, Zurich, and a Bern-Biel joint bid have all thrown their hat in the ring.
Overnight earthquake in Germany felt in large areas of Switzerland
This content was published on
An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.2 on the Richter scale was felt throughout Switzerland during the early hours of Thursday.
Swiss government rejects right-wing population cap initiative
This content was published on
The Federal Council is against a proposal to cap the country’s population at 10 million, saying it jeopardises economic growth and security.
Equality not achieved in Switzerland according to the Federal Council
This content was published on
Equality between women and men has not yet been achieved in Switzerland. But the targeted promotion of gender equality represents significant progress.
Federal Council appoints Martin Schlegel as new SNB Chairman
This content was published on
Martin Schlegel will become Chairman of the Swiss National Bank and Petra Tschudin will become a new member of the Governing Board.
This content was published on
The military has officially ended its involvement in relief measures associated with the coronavirus pandemic after 107 days on duty.
This content was published on
At the start of next year, the Swiss Armed Forces will shrink its reserves down to 100,000 troops and its training will be shortened by three weeks.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.