A Swedish soldier

     Missions in foreign countries have been a natural part of the Swedish civil and military units of the army since 1948. 60 years after the first UN observation, with Swedish officers in the Middle East, Sweden has had a tactical unit where the object has been to have the unit representing a cross-section of the Swedish society.

     The armed forces' highest leadership and the political goals have been unison: everyone who has gone through Swedish soldier training are desired in Sweden's new tactical unit, for international service.

There is some objective minds against the direction of the political will of the armed forces concerning an army which has all types of individuals.

     Parallell with the fact that society is becoming more open for people will another sexual orientation than straight the armed forces has just recently started to head towards a more open atmosphere and a more including atmosphere for these individuals. The tactical unit has a big challenge today to fulfil the political demands which are put on the organisation and win the confidence of the people. The tactical unit is part of the state and therefore needs to be just as open for everyone as all the other units/departments that the state is in control of.

     Another challenge for the Swedish armed forces is to live up to its high ideals, even during international missions. Ideals from the home should also permeate the international undertaking in i.e. Afghanistan and Kosovo.

A Swedish solder with a different sexual orientation should feel welcome in the satellite organisation that is established in the mission area.

But… How easy is it to be open with your sexual orientation, when it is deviant from the hetero-norm and what challenges are non-heterosexual soldiers encountering, in military cooperations with countries where homosexuality is illegal?

In the seminar ”A Swedish Soldier” we meet three non-heterosexual persons, within the armed forces, where two have experience from a mission in a foreign country, with the Swedish army and the third person who has yet to leave for one of those missions.

What are their thoughts and experiences about missions in foreign countries, as soldiers and how does the person think who has not yet left for his first mission about his sexual orientation in relationship to the mission in a foreign country?

Welcome to the Army Museum for intressesting discussions and some time for questions from the audience concerning the defence politics and the armed forces strive towards a more open atmosphere.