Sweden has just appointed a new Supreme Commander who has clearly stated that combat units, the war organisation, and combat readiness are to be prioritised.
"My focus will be to continue strengthening the war organisation and creating the conditions for us to collectively, effectively, and purposefully deliver on the defence decision that awaits us in December," said Claesson immediately after assuming command of the Swedish Armed Forces (Försvarsmakten).
It is encouraging that the Supreme Commander also reminds himself of the need to deliver on the political will. That will is equally clear, and at least equally ambitious: wartime mission, wartime mission, wartime mission.
The shift in focus from peacetime organisation to war organisation is important in many respects. The most significant difference is that we are planning to do things differently when the situation deteriorates severely.
It has not been, and has absolutely not always been, self-evident to everyone that we must be able to reorganise when transitioning from solving tasks in peacetime to solving tasks in wartime. More personnel, greater restrictions on freedoms, and different methods will be required.
Historically, we have had methods for addressing this problem that remain largely relevant today. Conscripted personnel who can be called up, equipment rotation to mobilisation units, and wartime legislation for the requisitioning of vehicles and supplies. But by far the most important component is the ability to scale up the personnel force with well-trained, competent, and committed individuals. For this, reserve officers are absolutely critical.
The reserve officer gets the best of both worlds. Training, experience, and methods from military service that are almost always applicable: leadership, the ability to make decisions and plan under time pressure, an understanding of the senior commander's intent, and consideration for the group.
At the same time, the reserve officer is free to pursue their ambitions by studying and working in their chosen field. Reserve officers take pride in their profession and contribute to society as doctors, engineers, teachers, lawyers, economists, natural scientists, and virtually every other academically grounded profession. They run businesses, serve as civil servants, or work as driven employees in industry and civil society.
The Swedish Armed Forces also get the best of both worlds. Large volumes of competent personnel with a breadth of experience and a depth of expertise that the organisation could not even dream of recruiting into its permanent establishment or competing for on the open labour market.
At the same time, personnel only need to be "paid" when they are used, that is, during education, exercises, and training. This is an efficient and cost-effective way to build combat units. Having, in addition, an internal staffing pool of capable personnel who can help cover vacancies in peacetime operations is naturally an added benefit.
Society is also a major beneficiary. Reserve officers contribute to a broadly rooted national defence, whereby the defence of the realm becomes a matter of concern for everyone, not just a small group who happen to be personally invested in the issue.
The terrible war in Ukraine has hopefully made it clear to all that the most important factor for defence capability, regardless of how large and powerful the adversary is, is never to allow the will to defend to falter and never to give up.
At the same time, the national economy need not suffer from having valuable expertise and labour committed to the Swedish Armed Forces. Instead, reserve officers continue to save lives in healthcare, contribute to a successful business sector, and strengthen competitiveness through research and development.
That the reserve officer is a key component in building combat units and enabling the war organisation to grow is, one would hope, uncontroversial. It is positive that the Supreme Commander, together with the Armed Forces leadership and the political sphere, also expresses this in an unambiguous manner.
But just as the reserve officer is critical to the growth of the Swedish Armed Forces, so too is the conduct of the Swedish Armed Forces critical to the reserve officer in many respects.
Reserve officers need reasonable and competitive terms of service. It is the norm that reserve officers take a pay cut when serving in a military capacity, they lack a statutory right to leave of absence, and they are in many ways treated less favourably than their full-time regular officer colleagues.
Reserve officer training is not adapted to the group of high-achieving academics who are the target audience for the reserve officer profession. There is insufficient understanding of students' circumstances and capacity for performance, and the regulations governing study breaks, adjustments, student grants, and student accommodation generally make no allowance for service as a reserve officer. The conditions during training are hardly designed for those who have already entered the workforce.
Reserve officers need to be looked after by their employer in the same way as all other personnel. Performance reviews, career planning, and salary development are just as important for reserve officers as for regular officers. Access to IT systems, personal equipment, and service identification cards should be a matter of course.
Most important of all, however, is that the Swedish Armed Forces capture those who are willing and able to serve, so that the flame of commitment is kept alive. There are no units today that can claim they do not need, cannot afford, or cannot manage to provide their reserve officers with the opportunity to serve.
I look with confidence at the journey that the Swedish Armed Forces and Total Defence (Totalförsvar) as a whole must undertake. One can only hope that words are translated into action and that we once and for all remove the obstacles that currently stand between the will to defend and the capability to do so.
Edvin Dribe, Ombudsman
The Swedish Reserve Officers' Association (Förbundet Reservofficerarna)