What does it take to turn a young, untrained Danish conscript into a soldier ready to defend their country?
Conscription – a lottery system that selects citizens at random for military service – has been a part of Denmark’s national defence since 1849. In response to growing security challenges, the country is now including women in the draft, and increasing annual intake numbers to around 7,500 by 2033, while lengthening the standard service period to 11 months.
In this video, we follow conscripts in the Danish Army’s Royal Life Guards as they complete a demanding final field exercise designed to test endurance, discipline and cohesion. Over five days, they face long marches, obstacle courses, freezing conditions and limited...
