I've noticed that in both Belgium and The Netherlands there has been an increase in war talk lately, saying how we need more military personnel and that we need to be wary of Russia. I've seen some British articles about it too.
Now, I hope it is purely coincidental otherwise I'd have to get worried about EU+UK being complete idiots and preparing for war.
Yep. The red-scare brainworms are deeply rooted here, every boy has to go to the military to prepare for the inevitable day the russians come. It hasn't really been taken very seriously for as long as I've lived, at least. Until now, I guess. A funny little cultural rite of passage meme where 18-year-olds get to fuck around with their bros in the woods for half a year. But tbh I never went myself, so I don't really know what you actually learn there.
"40 soldiers and an old tractor" is what I assume is the portion of the conscripts who are actually ready and willing to fight, and didn't just go there because they were expected to.
Yes, hello, this was me years ago.
From my very personal experience I'd say there are some who get some actual training and learn all kinds of things like how to hunt and eat a reindeer etc, but my placement was in the artillery and like 95% of everyone there was going to jump straight to Sweden if shit actually hit the fan, and that was the fucking artillery, like if someone is close enough to do damage there we're royally screwed anyway