She is the first woman to be a battalion commander at LV6

When Sofia Westermark made the mistake in 1995, at Lv4 in Ystad, there was only one other girl among the conscripts in the entire regiment. Among those who mucked from LV6 this year, 20 percent were women.

- In the beginning, I was always the only girl. It is only in recent years, when more women have come in, that I have begun to reflect on it, says Sofia Westermark, who is today major but becomes lieutenant when she takes over as battalion commander.

Are women needed in defense?

- We need the best soldiers. But if, as before, you primarily enroll men in military service, you only use resources from half of society. We have to get more girls in because there are so many suitable individuals also among the women, says Sofia Westermark.

She also believes that the work climate will have a better dynamic and will be softer if both men and women are present.

- I think it leads to us performing much better, says Sofia Westermark.

At Lv6 she was hired in 1998 and since then she has climbed degrees and positions. When she takes over as battalion commander in July, she has only the regiment commander.

Sofia Westermark will hold the position for two years, and she will then be the manager of approximately 250 employees. In addition, she is responsible for 300 conscripts.

"A huge responsibility to lead an entire battalion, a dreaded delight," she says.

In the clip above, she talks about her thoughts about being LV6's first female battalion commander.