Försvarsmakten

I received the seldom given opportunity to document the journey of 40 new GMU recruits of the Swedish Armed Forces.

My role
Photographer, Photo editor

Background

In 2012, the format of GMU (Grundläggande Militär Utbildning) basic training was still under its early development. The idea was to offer what had previously been a mandatory military service of 9+ months as something optional – that only the qualified ones that actually wanted to be there would attend. This new way of 3 months of higher-paced military training was seen as a more lucrative option for many.

The short and intense amount of training was something that was later revised as many of the recruits acquired injuries and had to abort prematurely, something that has since been addressed by extending the format and lowering the intensity.

Challenge

Document the life & journey of 40 new recruits

The task at hand was a straightforward one: document the life of the new recruits in a seldom-shown way by photographing all the aspects one can expect by taking part in the GMU basic training.

As a recruit myself, I didn’t just have a front-row seat to basic training; I had the inside perspective. I took these photos so others could truly see and understand the demanding trials we endured over those long months.

Result

150 true-to-life photographs

The reception of the photographs was overwhelmingly positive, with praises both from military and civilian sources.

While both taking the part as the photographer and the recruit, I was hesitant in what capacity I would be able to document while also taking part in this intense journey. To both be able to register my superiors orders and at the same time find good photo angles is not an easy task.

Though in the end, I think I handled the extra workload without my military training suffering.