[blaki974]

I went through a selection camp when I was 18, where they determine where you are best put to use. I scored high on intellectual and strength, so they placed me at the worst possible place: squadleader. The one who takes sh-t from above as well as below.

Squadleader: I got my first stripe after a month, at an unofficial meeting. We got the second stripe at a more official gathering, just before "our" soldiers came. We trained them in such basic skills as marching, making one's bed, saluting and using the correct terms for things. Things like "the business end of an AK-5" is called "mynning" and nothing else. and it doesn't use "bullits". It uses 5.56 mm ammunition. And you are NOT allowed to smoke if you are sitting on an ammo crate.

Our third stripe came after passing a few tests roughly about half way through our training. I was doing 10 months only, since it is (was) a concsript army. The soldiers did 7.5 months. The platoon leaders did 12 months and the company leaders did 15 months. I ended up driving a truck, and acting as a mini-supply for the entire company. I had everything on it. Tape, duct tape, pencils, compasses, T-röd, wicks for burners and so forth. All dispensed properly and in order after doing the paperwork.

We were told we would be sergeants when we got called for our first repetition, but evidently, they managed without us. I got a letter stating I had been put in the "utbildningsreserven" ("reserve"), so we never had any repetitions.