For Pontus Hedengren, it came as something of a shock when he realized that he and one other were the only guys in the platoon.
– It was a little food for thought, so to speak, says Pontus and laughs.
Fellow soldier Elvira Edström was pleasantly surprised at the move-in when her quarters were filled with girl after girl.
– Then all of a sudden everyone was inside and then there were no guys there.
The platoon leader: Gender doesn’t matter
The platoon’s soldiers are now receiving their basic training in the field at the training area in Kvarn outside Motala. They will then be placed in functional positions within healthcare, liaison and staff.
For the platoon leader, the gender distribution does not matter when soldiers are to be trained.
– We need to order a little more menstrual protection and remember that you have different physical conditions, says Lieutenant Linn Nilsson.
Properties and physics decide
That there has been such a strong majority of women in this platoon is in all probability a pure coincidence. During the recruitment at the Duty and Examination Board, it is personal characteristics and physique that determine placement, not gender.
– The women have definitely stepped up a bit, become stronger and did well on all the muster tests, states Ebba De Geer, conscript healthcare group manager.
See and hear more in the video above.