Today, 154 conscripts at Göta ingenjörregemente Ing 2 in Eksjö mucked up. A ceremony was held inside the barracks yard with Carolinians and hussars and where Per Åkerblom, the head of Ing 2, among others, spoke.
Amid songs, cheers and applause, the soldiers then marched out onto the muck where family and friends were waiting. There was a big hug party and some tears could be seen.
However, for many, it was not the last time they saw each other. Nine of the soldiers will continue their studies on the officer programme to become either specialist officers, tactical officers or reserve officers. 45 will continue to work in some form of soldier position.
Record in applicants
This year there are 1045 applicants to the officer programme and this is the highest number since the programme was established in 2008 as a higher education programme. In addition, more than 30 percent of the applicants are women, which is also a record.
Corporal Amanda Ottosson has applied to the officer program at Karlberg in Stockholm. She believes that the external situation is one of the reasons why more women are applying to join the armed forces.
"You can see that a strong defence is needed, and the more women who work, the more role models there are," she says.
The company commander thinks it is positive to have more women in the armed forces.
"Diversity creates the conditions," says Sebastian Winther, major and company commander at Ing 2.
Watch the conscripts mucking in the clip above.