"Hos oss sitter kulturen i hjertet" - en antropologisk studie av kultur i Marinejegerkommandoen

This report describes and discusses the most important factor in special operations: the men. This is an anthropological case study of culture in the Norwegian Naval Special Forces Command (Marinejegerkommandoen – MJK). Culture is here defined as how they think, act and communicate qua naval Special Operation Force (SOF). The ethnography in this study is based on 18 mounts fieldwork with participant observation. This rapport describes quite different topics, because it is with a holistic approach we can understand cultural complexity. Anyone working in or with The Armed Forces will recognize many aspects of this naval SOF culture. There is something common in all warrior cultures; the hardship of physical training, weapons drills, strong cohesion and tough rite de passage. Other dimensions in this study will be more recognizable by those who work with special operations. Special Forces have long and very hard selections, and in MJK they select operators with slightly different qualities and skills than conventional forces. Leading special operations is quite different from being a leader in a strict hierarchical unit. In MJK they cultivate creativity, flexibility and unconventional thinking. SOF operators works in small units, often far away for headquarters. The operators ―inner compass‖ must therefore be calibrated. Good attitude, ability to out-think the enemy and excellent military qualifications is vital to conduct special operations. That is why it takes a long time to train and educate naval SOF operators (marinejegere). Reciprocal trust and respect is the foundation in MJK. SOF units and commands are often more egalitarian than conventional forces. In all organizations we will find both formal and informal structures. In MJK they have their Seamen Council; an institutionalized way of taking decisions after long and thorough discussions. These councils give room for creativity and they defuse conflicts. War is chaotic and puts soldiers under lots of pressure, and military drill helps soldiers to switch to a fighting mode. The vital point here is that they need to be able to switch off again – otherwise they will burn out. In MJK the operators gain a Stoic-like notion of self-command and they train anger control. This is useful for the individual, but this self-control is also of great importance during operations. Marinejegere have a mindset that is quite different from conventional soldiers, and they have a set of skills and abilities that make them suitable to conduct high risk military operations. Those skills are gained by a combination of hard military training and academic education. The aim of this study is to describe and discuss the native point of view, and to document a part of the Norwegian warrior culture. This project gave MJK a new and more precise vocabulary for culture and their own social practices, and it might give way for new knowledge, awareness and discussions even outside the command.