CHAPTER2

DENMARK by Henning Sørensen & Claus Kold

1.  TYPE OF FORCE

In 2010 there were about 25,000 persons employed in the Danish military, 17.000 military and 8.000 civilians. In Denmark military service is still obligatory. Draft is called the ‘Day of Defence’. The Day of Defence was until 2004 called the ‘session’, but this was changed by Law 69 of February 4, 2004. Roughly 50 % of the male population is drafted. All male population to be drafted has to be present on the day, but only few is really drafted as 90 % of all conscripts have sign up voluntarily. Women can come to the Day of Defence as a volunteer. The draft period is 4 months, but there are different exceptions according to the special demands of the specific unit which will then have a longer draft period. All Danish soldiers deployed in overseas missions are volunteers.

2.  MALE / FEMALE RATIO AND ASSIGNMENTS IN DEPLOYED UNITS

In 1962 it became possible for women to enlist. However the first contracted women didn’t start until 1971. The first female officers started in 1974. The period 1981-1987 consisted of different types of female enlistments in battle units. In 1988 real enlistment started, but female possibilities to become fighter pilot didn’t start until 1992. Approximately 10 per cent of the conscripts are women. Even if the women are all volunteers they are termed ‘conscripts’ (the technically correct term is ‘serving in military service-like conditions’). Today, the number and distribution of military women in the Danish Defence is 6.2 %, cf. table 1 below showing the specific proportion of female soldiers distributed on army, navy and air force.

Draftees are not included:

Table 1. Danish Female Military Personnel. 1. January 2010.%¹

In table 2 the specific numbers of Danish women in International mission abroad are presented

Table 2 - Danish Female Soldiersin International Missions. 2007-2010²

3. MISSIONS PERFORMED AFTER THE YEAR 2000

Denmark has an over-all history record of willingly participating in UN operations, and has done even more so in the last two decades. Four international missions have dominated Danish missions since 1990 as shown in table 3.

Table 3 - Major Danish Military Deployments, 1991 – 2010 (2014)³

Danish Army personnel has in particular, served abroad compared with the other two services. However, in 2011 and in 2012, both the Danish Air force and the Navy have been engaged in separate deployments; the Air Force in the UN operation in Libya under Security Council Resolution 1973 and the Navy in the ongoing anti-piracy NATO operation, ‘OPERATION OCEAN SHIELD’, in the Indian Ocean. These operations, however, never reach the same numbers as the operations of the Danish Army. It has mainly been deployed in overseas operations under a UN mandate, but also operated in NATO missions, typically preceding a UN mandate. The different operations can be divided into mainly Observing Teams (peacekeeping) or Operating Teams (peaceenforcement). A closer look at table 3 reveals a shift in the lethal tasks for Danish soldiers from peacekeeping to peaceenforcement operations over time, in particular in Afghanistan.

4.  TYPES OF ASSIGNEDTASKS IN MISSIONS PERFORMED

The four different Danish missions in table 3 shows that Danish forces were at first deployed in Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1992 when the civil war in Yugoslavia was at its peak and the international mission was headed by the UN. From mid 1995s and until 2004 the Danish soldiers had various tasks according to the leadership of NATO and when the EU took over, Denmark had to leave Bosnia due to its defence reservation towards the EU military cooperation. At the beginning of that period, i.e. in the end of 1995 Danish sol diers tried to separate the warring parties and taking care of civilians. Later on, new tasks such as the exchange of dead bodies between the parties of the conflict became part of the tasks.

In KFOR, in the early period, central tasks were riot control, mainly at the central bridge in Mitrovica. Other tasks were manning stationary checkpoints, checking cars and lorries for weapons or setting up mobile checkpoints carrying out the same kind of tasks. Social patrols talking with the local population in the villages about their problems and their mutual conflict was also a central part of the task of Danish soldiers often supporting the local lord mayors and assisting in negotiations between fighting parties.

In the ISAF mission in Afghanistan, the main tasks for Danish soldiers and soldiers from other countries operating outside Kabul were to assist the central government in developing its authority, to support local development and to secure the daily life by social patrols talking with the local population, building bridges and schools. The Danish forces have been deployed in the province of Helmand, an area with heavy resistance, which has led to the loss of several soldiers’ lives and many soldiers being severely injured.

5.  DEPLOYED UNITS: AVERAGE SIZE, COMPOSITION, AND DEPLOYMENT TEMPO

Size and composition of deployed units depends on the specific mission, but in general this has been heavily developed during the two latest missions, seeing that the soldiers have met new challenges: IED’s, new types of fighting, piracy, etc. Currently Danish forces are deployed in:

UNTSO. There are 10 Danes in the mission, which is headquartered in Jerusalem, Israel. Mission observers monitor the ceasefire; that agreements are respected; prevent isolated incidents that evolve into something bigger and to assist other UN operations in the region. The mission and the observers have also assisted and influenced the other missions in the area. The focus on UNDOF (United Nations disengagement Observer Force) working in the Golan, and UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) in Lebanon.

MONUC. Denmark has two officers in the mission headquarters in Kinshasa. The mission, composed of both units and observers, has primarily had the task of supporting the establishment and observance of the Ceasefire Agreement and liaising with the various factions in the country’s civil war. The mission also helps to distribute humanitarian aid, reconstruction and preparation of local and later national elections.

UNMIL. Denmark has two representatives in the mission, which has headquarters in Monrovia. The mandate implies support to implement the ceasefire agreement, to provide support to humanitarian assistance and protect human rights, to support the reconstruction and support the implementation of the wider peace process. UNMIL is composed of units, observers and police forces.

UNMIS. The Danish contingent in Sudan comprises 14 officers. Of the 14 officers, four staff officers with two headquarters (HQ) in Khartoum and two headquarters (HQ) in Juba. The other 10 officers are UN Military Observers (UNMO) and they are spread out in six sectors in Southern Sudan. Period in Sudan is six months with option to extend for a further six months. UNMIS mission is to ensure the peace agreement (CPA) from 2005 including assistance to the Government of Sudan and to carry out a census in 2008, to conduct elections in 2009 and to conduct a referendum in 2011.

UNMOGIP. Denmark has four observers in UNMOGIP. UNMOGIP monitor the ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir to observe and report, investigate complaints of ceasefire violations and to inform Parties and UN Secretary-General on such matters.

UNOMIG. Denmark has five people in the mission, which is headquartered in Sukumi. UNOMIG monitor implementation of the UN agreement and observe how the CIS force operations going on. Subsequently Observer Force expanded considerably. UNAMI. Denmark contributes to the mission with three officers.

The mission’s task is to assist, advise and give guidance in the implementation of central and regional elections, advice and support in the reconstruction of both central and decentralized control, establishment of a constitution and other necessary legal framework, establishment of a social security system and handling human rights, and the main purpose is to support the nor malization efforts in Iraq. Two Danish officers acting as military advisers are based in Erbil in the Kurdish autonomous area, and act as a liaison between UNAMI and the UN security organization in Baghdad.

UNAMA. Denmark contributes to the mission with an officer. The tasks involve the establishment of a new constitution and the holding of general elections. UNAMA was also authorized to handle all forms of humanitarian assistance and reconstruction. UNAMA’s mandate is renewed every year and in 2008 mentions the UN Secretary-General that the guiding principle of UNAMA should be to reinforce Afghan leadership and enhancing international cohesion in support of that leadership.

UNCMAC. The first officer arrived at the Danish mission in May 2009. In June 2009 further one Danish officer arrived. To ensure that all agreements are respected in practice, the UN mission established two Corridor Control Team, and the easternmost in May 2009 came under Danish leadership. In mid-June accessing one Danish officer arrived to work at the UN mission headquarters in Seoul.

UNMIK. Denmark has one officer in the mission headquarters in Pristina.

KFOR. Kosovo, Mitrovica area. Originally in 1999 the Danish contribution was about 850 soldiers. This by 2010 reduced to just 300 men. The Danish force has during the whole period been responsible for an area from the western outskirts of the town of Mitrovica to the Serb border. Moreover, Denmark has participated with personnel in KFOR headquarters and in various other smaller units. In June 2009 NATO decided that the situation in Kosovo was stable enough to allow the NATO force in Kosovo (KFOR) revert to a more retracted role, termed “deterrent presence”. As a consequence the Danish battalion was reduced from approx. 300 men with a quota of 180 persons, and the Danish Camp Olaf Rye was closed.

Danish ISAF, Helmand. The second February 2006 Danish parliament decided to extend the Danish contribution to ISAF by increasing the total Danish contribution in Afghanistan and deploy up to 290 soldiers in Helmand province under the command of the British-led Task Force Helmand (TFH). Since the first team of Danish soldiers were deployed in the spring/summer 2006, there has been a gradual building up strength. The first two teams had a light observation unit; in Team 3 there was a scout squadron, and from Team 4, it was a mechanized infantry company and then also a scout squadron. On team 5, 6 and 7 the scout squadron was replaced by a mechanized infantry company. On team 8, August 2009, the mechanized infantry company (PMV G 3) was replaced by a light observation squadron. Parliament announced by Resolution 161 of June 2007 that consent to the Danish engagement was extended to the battle groupsize. This was to be achieved in two stages: in August, an increase of approx. 400 men and from October 2007 to approx. 550 soldiers. 23 October 2007 permission was given to the Danish force to be reinforced with an armoured division.

Danish ISAF performs security and stabilizing operations, ranging from being present over show of force to direct battle. The soldiers perform patrols and try to create trust with the local population. And they also co-operate with the Afghan Forces in order to educate them in weaponry, military leadership and organization.

Deployment cadence in general. The deployment tempo is held according to the escalation and urgency of the conflict, task and force involved.

Deployment periods vary according to force type, task and rank. In general Army rotation period is 6 months when whole battalions rotate to mission area. The period of 6 months is also the case for the Navy, except for naval helicopter pilots, chaplain and doctors. Helicopter pilots on Navy vessels are on 5 minutes alert (SAR), which reduces the deployment period to 5 weeks. The same goes for doctors. The chaplain is usually deployed for 3 months. The 5 minutes alert and long flight hours also influence Air force pilots in overseas operations and the rotation period for deployed pilots thus varies from 5 weeks to 3 months.

6.  ECONOMICCOMPENSATIONEXCEEDINGNORMALPAYFOREACHRANK

Danish military personnel are allowed to organize in unions, and do so. The unions negotiate the wage and the compensation of the deployed soldiers. In the negotiations with the Danish state the Dan ish defense is collectively represented by the Modernization Agency and the Defence Personnel Service, while the personnel side is represented by the unions. Besides the general agreement each employee has the opportunity to negotiate individual allowances and remuneration. Deployed personnel are compensated. Compensation for deployed personnel varies according to rank and duty.

7.  SPECIALTRAINING FOR EACH MISSION

Every Danish battalion deployed in overseas operations is only a temporary battalion composed to meet the specific tasks. The battalion is dissolved after returning home.

The training of all the battalions’ soldiers is “mission specific,” which means that the soldiers are training the specific duty stations they will all meet as well as a variety of tasks and their reported challenges. During rotation the former team will train and inform the new team in their specific duties. During deployment training is continued.

8.  PUBLIC OPINION AND MILITARY MISSIONS

As indicated, Denmark has an over-all history of willingly participating in UN peace operations since 1948. Thus, since then around 50.000 Danish soldiers have served abroad and since 1992, 26.000 have participated in international military missions. Danish politicians have historically decided in favour of international military engagement and have consistently spoken positively about it. Since 1990, almost all decisions relating to deploying and financing Danish forces abroad have raised no real public debate and have, except for the Iraq operation in 2003-2007, see table 5, been broadly supported by Parliament.

While the military operations have been discussed between the political parties and critique has been raised this critique was mainly directed toward the political system, not towards the soldiers having served abroad.