Friskere, raskere, sterkere? – en kvantitativ analyse av medisinske og fysiske krav til førstegangstjeneste

Medical and physical employment standards for the basic military service are essential to ensure that the Norwegian Armed Forces enlist capable soldiers, and that the conscripts are fit for the service they are assigned to. If the tests used in the selection are not relevant for the tasks in the service, there is a risk that the selection is based on health and physical fitness at the expense of other relevant criteria. In this report we explore what effect medical and physical employment standards have on the selection to the basic military service in the Norwegian Armed Forces. We compare the current standards with results from sesjon del 2, which is the second part of the selection process for the basic military service. The results collected are for men and women born in 1997, the first annual age cohort with conscription duty for both men and women. Despite the introduction of conscription duty for men and women, the share of women selected to the basic military service is considerably lower compared to men. Medical, physical and other employment standards are an important factor. While 43 percent of the candidates at sesjon del 2 are women, the female share among those selected to the basic military service is only 30 percent. The medical examination results show that women on average obtain a lower score compared to men in all functional areas. In total, 62 percent of the women and 80 percent of the men are considered medically fit for field service. Some positions have additional medical employment standards, which limits the selection further. Men and women are subject to the same physical employment standards. Physical endurance and physical strength are tested at sesjon del 2. The results show that men obtain a significantly higher score than women. Women obtain a lower score on the test of general mental ability as well. Out of the candidates who are medically fit for field service, 2 percent of the men and 22 percent of the women do not satisfy either the minimal physical employment standards or the general mental ability requirements. These candidates are not qualified for any service in the Norwegian Armed Forces. For most services, the additional physical employment standards limit the selection further, in particular among women.