National Guard is preparing to cut 7,000 soldiers

The National Guard .Photo: Heimevernet / Scanpix

The National Guard could lose 7,000 soldiers, as per an overview Klassekampen has been granted access to. The worst would be is in Agder and Rogaland.

The National Guard is preparing a cut from 42,000 to 35,000 soldiers in the work place structure. This occurs at the same time as the region’s only military base, outside of Kjevik Kristiansand, will be closed down.

Agder counties and Rogaland, is likely to have more than 40 percent of the NG-cuts, writes Klassekampen. The local NG Leaders now fear that the counties in Agder will be stripped of the last of a military presence.

– This will have enormous consequences, especially in Southern Norway, which in practice will remain open without readiness during peace, crisis or war, says Knut Aall, Area Commander for Holt National Guard area, which includes the municipalities of Tvedestrand, Risør, Gjerstad and Vegårshei in Aust-Agder. The Area Commander points out that the National Guard is also responsible for important tasks during peacetime.

– It means that the population in Agder can not expect to get help from the National Guard for search and rescue operations, if for example, a child disappears. It also means that there will not be the same readiness as before for forest fire fighting.

– Everyone remembers the fire in Froland – it was mostly the National Guard who helped extinguish the fire, says Aall. The forest fire in 2008 was the biggest in Norway since World War II.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today