Hundreds of young people left the Armed Forces last year: – Critical

Most people who leave the Armed Forces are under 36 years of age. It is an announced crisis. Now it is here.

On 5 April, the Støre government’s most important defense document to date will arrive. Expectations for the new long-term plan for the Armed Forces are high.

The two largest trade unions in the Armed Forces agree where the shoe presses the most:

• All defense branches are affected by a lack of personnel
• Departments struggle to retain staff.
• Large cohorts are on their way out in the coming years.
• It is difficult to bring in new people.
• It will take time to build new knowledge.

Lose hundreds of the youngest

Most people who leave the Armed Forces are under 36 years of age. And it is the specialists who disappear first, wrote Officersbladet in February. It is the Joint Chiefs’ Organization (BFO)’s own journal.

In 2023, 695 employees left the Armed Forces. 482 specialists and 212 officers. The figures are taken from the Norwegian Armed Forces’ personnel and conscription centre.

The problem is about to become acute, Torbjørn Bongo believes. He heads the Norwegian Association of Officers and Specialists (NOF).

– The personnel situation in the Armed Forces is critical. The consequence is that the Armed Forces can neither solve their mission nor train enough people for tomorrow’s needs. Ultimately, we are unable to defend Norway, says Bongo to Aftenposten.

There are many reasons why it has become this way, Bongo points out. The reasons may have roots many years back in time.

– The warnings have not been taken seriously enough, either by the military or political leadership. Now the situation is acute, he believes.

Struggle on land, at sea and in the air

Here three examples:

• Manning of the Coast Guard’s vessels is “a challenge”, according to the Coast Guard’s annual report: “During 2023, the Coast Guard has docked for 76 days due to a lack of qualified personnel”.
• Telemark Battalion on Rena loses support from the Artillery Battalion. The cannons at Rena are to be transferred to Setermoen in Troms. The aim is to bring together the small specialist communities that exist, but this affects operational preparedness.
• The Air Force lacks per today around 100 aircraft technicians. It could threaten the ability to fully utilize the F-35 fighter jets. The National Audit Office has criticized the Ministry of Defense for “significantly” underestimating the need for staffing for years.

The Defense Commission concluded as follows last year: “The armed forces are potentially facing a critical shortage of personnel with insufficient competence in important areas, including the necessary technological competence. This will go beyond the ability to defend.”

Action is needed now

Dag Stutlien is head of the Command’s joint organisation. When he took over the post last year, he went back through older editions of the members’ magazine and had an aha experience.

– We wrote about the same problems. We could print the same thing again and just change the picture and change the date, he says jokingly.

– But now you must at least take some clear and powerful measures. And it’s not just about kroner and pence.

Stutlien and Bongo highlight salary, pension, living conditions, educational opportunities and, not least, a service that feels rewarding.

– The staff expect words to turn into action. It must be shown that there is an investment in the personnel.

One area in particular is considered most important right now.

Pension bomb

The work on a new pension scheme for military employees is central.

– Many of those who quit point to pensions as the most important reason for their quitting. This applies to both the elderly, the younger and those in the middle of their career, says Bongo.

This applies in particular to those born after 1970. Many would rather choose a job with a lower income and a better pension.

– The pension scheme is a disaster when it comes to retaining staff, believes Stutlien.

For many in the Armed Forces, allowances for exercises, guards and other assignments make up a large part of their income. But the supplements do not count when the pension is calculated.

The employees’ organizations have taken the case against the state to have the agreement, which expired five years ago, changed.

Gram: Could get worse before it gets better

Bongo feels that the government and Storting see the challenges.

The government says it will emphasize personnel measures in the new defense plan.

“The defense sector is in a serious personnel and competence situation which must be followed up quickly”.

This was stated by Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram (sp) in a speech at the Oslo Military Society on 5 February. He wants to make the Armed Forces a more attractive place to work and strengthen the educational capacity.

But he also poured wormwood into the cup: “Even with offensive measures, things may get worse before they get better.”