Covid-19: Switzerland introduces remote military service
Swiss army soldiers wear protective masks during a rifle practice in the Chamblon military compound near Yverdon-les Bains, April 30, 2020. AP - Laurent Gillieron
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
Teleworking is emulated within the army.
In Switzerland, where military service is compulsory for men, the next recruits will have to do their classes from their living room.
Because of the pandemic, the army has indeed decided to postpone their arrival at the barracks.
But there is no question of playing the slack.
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With our correspondent in Geneva,
Jérémie Lanche
Twelve thousand conscripts were to begin their military service this month.
The army has decided to cut the pear in two: only 6,000 young people will enter the barracks.
The others will follow distance education.
Or 6 hours a day, for three weeks thanks to an application.
Learn to salute, don a gas mask and even wield a weapon.
Physical training is even planned.
They will then have to take a test to verify their knowledge when joining their units.
With all the risks that this entails in terms of the spread of the
virus
.
Asked by the Swiss Radio Television (RTS), the Socialist deputy Pierre-Alain Fridez, is neither convinced by the army at home nor by the urgency to train new soldiers:
“
It is not theory that we need, it is indeed practice.
Contact with vehicles, with weapons, things like that.
We all agree that war is not upon us, so I think we could have waited very well.
"
However, the Swiss army played an important role at the time of the pandemic, since it was they who stored and transported vaccines to the various cantons.
The military also intervened to support hospitals when they were overwhelmed by the new contaminations.
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