Female special forces in Norway: what made these girls?
Jegertroppen — the world’s first female special forces squad. It was conceived as an experiment, but turned out to be a very successful endeavor.
She walked several miles with a burden equal to their own weight; she used to kill small game to survive in the woods during the exercise; she practiced parachute jumping, to know how to get into the lair of the enemy.
19-year-old Yannick, a handsome Norwegian retracted in ponytail hair girl is very hardy. But that’s not all: she also is part of Jegertroppen (“the Hunting party”) — the world’s first female special forces unit.
“I wanted to do something more, to choose the hardest thing there is in the army, explains Yannick. I wanted to see what I’m capable of.”
After half a year of training, despite the fact that not everything went smoothly, she intends to continue.
Jegertroppen was formed in 2014. Then the military command decided that the war in Afghanistan showed “operational necessity” of well-trained soldiers-the women who would gather intelligence and establish contacts with local women and children during the deployment of troops in countries with a traditional way of life.
The initiative, which was conceived just as an experiment, is now recognized as a great success.
In the first year of the application filed more than 200 women every year through this harsh combat training is about a dozen people, regularly replenished elite women’s squad of special purpose, which can be used both in Norway and abroad.
According to Yannick, while the most difficult it seemed to her so-called “hell week” — verification of psychological and physical endurance, including a grueling forced marches lasting several days, almost without rest and with a minimum amount of food and water.
“They thus check whether you are able to endure hardship, being in such weariness,” says Yannick.
Today, these young women learn to break out of an ambush in the city. They are working in groups of two people: hide behind the burned tanks, store machine-gun fire to suppress the enemy and learn to put up a smokescreen to cover the retreat of the detachment.
Every time they manage to hit metal targets, standing far ahead in the snow, there is a loud ringing — to the delight of the captain OLE Vidar Crossler, steering exercise.
“We provide them with the best training, as close to real conditions, he says. — We force them to repeat these combat techniques as long as they do not possess in perfection.”
In the intervals the women soldiers who are from 19 to 27 years, rest, and then the situation is completely changed.
They sang, joked, sitting, lolling on the box with the hardware, enjoying a brief moment of rest. Then make a fire and start frying the kebab.
In the mid-1980s Norway was one of the first countries in NATO to allow women to serve in combat units, but their number was always negligible. Women were allowed to apply for service in special forces but had not passed.
The US and Britain only recently officially permitted women to enlist in combat units, but the American commandos had to this innovation resistance.
A survey conducted in 2014 by the Institute Ayn Rand among the officers of the special forces, found that 85% were opposed to allowing women to perform specific tasks, and 71% were opposed to women were part of their parts.
First officers worried that it may fall the high standards of training and cohesion within the group.
Men also expressed concern about the impact that could have on women premenstrual syndrome (PMS). They were also concerned with the impact on the team and the fact that women and men have to live in different compartments.
Norwegian commando Magnus, coached novobranets Jegertroppen, believes that it is far-fetched problems.
In Norway the soldiers, both men and women sleep in one room, and PMS during training didn’t cause any problems, he said.
However, he admits that some doubts are not unfounded: for example, if you have enough women soldiers forces quickly to bring them to a safe place wounded soldier-man.
“I don’t think we should expect from women is the same as that of the men, adds Magnus. They will not win in hand to hand combat, but we in most cases do not use fists, and weapons. And they shoot, as a rule, better men.”
Would you be able to complete such training?
What you need to complete the course:
- To take a 15-kilometer hike through the forest for 2 hours and 15 minutes in full uniform and with equipment: boots with a 22 pound backpack and weapons.
- 6 times a pull-up
- do 50 UPS in 2 minutes
- 40 push-UPS
- to run 3 mile in 13 minutes
- swim in 11 minutes, 400 meters, first 25 meters under water.
The majority of the members Jegertroppen was a student in special sports schools, but it is not only good physical preparation.
“Women think outside the box, explains twenty-two Venderla, held this training in the past year. Men just do what they are told. Perhaps we are more adapted to see some other, better solution.”
Despite the fact that gender equality in the Norwegian army — and in society as a whole — is a long-standing, only 11% of the personnel composition of the army of women. This shows that recruitment and training of women soldiers still leave much to be desired.
In Britain, the figure is 10.2% in the United States — more than 15%.
In 2016 conscription in Norway has spread to women, and they made up a quarter of 8 thousand recruits. This means that female soldiers in the army will eventually become more.
Venderla says that she is not faced with sexism in the special forces, however, another battalion of such episodes have been.
For example, her colleagues sometimes tell her that she is weaker than men and less capable, but one of the soldiers let go of her ribald jokes. But it all stopped after she complained.
“I think he may have been not very confident. But I knew that I was all right, because I passed all the tests, so it’s his problem,” says Vendela.
The Norwegian military are currently in Jordan where it has trained Syrian rebels fighting with the militants of the “Islamic state”.
While none of the women trained in the special forces Jegertroppen, was sent on a special operation. As it says in command as long as they’re trained and ready, if need be.
The Yannick says that in such a peaceful country as Norway, during combat training hard all the time, remember that they are learning to kill.
“But I’m trying not to forget about it, because we, in fact, here and trained,” she says calmly and confidently.
Kevin Ponniah, BBC News