Back from the Swiss Army

Picture: Sunrise on the army base in Biére close to the Jura mountains.

I did my first army training back in 1994 and I am now the oldest guy in my battery. Yuup, I am a army dinosaur. To be frank, the older I get the more annoying the service becomes. From a cold war setup society has become extremely individualistic and the willingness to submit oneself to discipline and a group has deteriorated. I wonder how many soldiers would actually show up in a case of war. My guess is less than 50 percent. The army runs out of funds, closes down bases constantly and it lacks enough professional instructors (over 400) as no one nowadays wants to have a career in the army.

The positive effect of being back from the army is that I value my private life again. I am tired but extremely content again. Whenever I serve in the army I live through ups and downs that I would not experience in private life. Like lying in the snow doing rifle practise in the middle of the winter. This certainly toughens you up.

For more pictures of my army service, click here: http://easteatswest.typepad.com/photos/swiss_army/index.html

Picture: Sleeping rough in the Swiss Army.