Garnisonen i Sør-Varanger
Encyclopedia
The Sør-Varanger Garrison (GSV) is a military camp located next to Høybuktmoen Airport near Kirkenes
in Sør-Varanger
, Norway
. The Garrison is under the control of the Norwegian Army
and is organized as a battalion. The garrison
consists of Training Company GRKP/U), Support Company (GAKP), and Border Company (GRKP). The Border Company's main job is to guard the Norwegian-Russia
n border. The garrison also has a NCO school.
soldiers. Most of the soldiers are men, but there is also an increasing amount of women. GSV receives about 400 new conscripts every six months.
The first seven weeks of recruit training
, which is standard for all military personnel in Norway. After basic training, some of the soldiers are transferred to the garrison company to work in and around the garrison to support the education of the GRKP/u, the GRKP itself and the mission-solvance of the GSV border company.
The rest of the soldiers stay in the education company to become border guards. After six months, through basic training, advanced training and specialist/designated training, the soldiers are divided up and sent to one of the six border stations.
The border service requires physical and mental stamina, discipline and the ability to think, decide and initiate. The service requires individuals and units to operate independently. The soldiers deployed for border service are basically trained as reconnaissance rangers. Most of the time in the education company consist of field exercise, fire drills and role specialisation.
At the border, the soldiers are divided into four-man patrol teams. A typical patrol team consist of one patrol commander corporal, one communications technician, one medical specialist and one scout. Not assigned, but perfectly available for the teams are canine(K9 approx) corporals, responsible for handling and training the patrol canines, and transportation corporals, responsible for mobility, administrative tasks and maintenance. In addition, a portion of the border guards are assigned with a dual role; reconnassaissance and operations headquarters, they also serve as regular border guards.
The soldiers' main task is to function as border guards on the Russian border, guarding not only the border to a neighbouring country, but also the European border according to the Schengen Agreement
. During wartime their task is to monitor enemy advance and gather intelligence on hostile movement, most likely during covert retreat southwards in Norway.
In addition to the border stations, The checkpoint at Storskog
is the only legal crossing point between Norway and Russia.
This checkpoint is manned by police, custom services and military personnel from the grensekommisær (border commissar).
Treaty and sovereignty enforcement of the Norwegian border to Russia is a three-agency operation. Østfinnmark politidistrikt, the police district, is responsible for prosecution, fines and processing of illegal immigrants, asylum seekers and border violations. Grensekommisæren, the border commissioner, is the policymaking and diplomatic department. It arranges contact and meetings with its Russian counterpart, makes agreements and rules and is a substantial part of the diplomatic process. Finally the GSV, the battalion of the Norwegian Army
, is responsible of military border patrol. The soldiers are granted police authority for border relations and is one of the few Norwegian law enforcement divisions carrying weapons and live ammunition on a daily basis.
Kirkenes
is a town in the municipality of Sør-Varanger in the county of Finnmark in the far northeast of Norway...
in Sør-Varanger
Sør-Varanger
Sør-Varanger is a municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kirkenes. Sør-Varanger was separated from the municipality of Vadsø on 1 July 1858.-Name:...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. The Garrison is under the control of the Norwegian Army
Norwegian Army
Norway achieved full independence in 1905, and in the first century of its short life has contributed to two major conflicts, the Cold War and the War on Terror. The Norwegian Army currently operates in the north of Norway and in Afghanistan as well as in Eastern Europe. The Army is the oldest of...
and is organized as a battalion. The garrison
consists of Training Company GRKP/U), Support Company (GAKP), and Border Company (GRKP). The Border Company's main job is to guard the Norwegian-Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n border. The garrison also has a NCO school.
The service at GSV
The troops at GSV mainly consists of conscriptedConscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
soldiers. Most of the soldiers are men, but there is also an increasing amount of women. GSV receives about 400 new conscripts every six months.
The first seven weeks of recruit training
Recruit training
Recruit training, more commonly known as Basic Training and colloquially called Boot Camp, is the initial indoctrination and instruction given to new military personnel, enlisted and officer...
, which is standard for all military personnel in Norway. After basic training, some of the soldiers are transferred to the garrison company to work in and around the garrison to support the education of the GRKP/u, the GRKP itself and the mission-solvance of the GSV border company.
The rest of the soldiers stay in the education company to become border guards. After six months, through basic training, advanced training and specialist/designated training, the soldiers are divided up and sent to one of the six border stations.
The border service requires physical and mental stamina, discipline and the ability to think, decide and initiate. The service requires individuals and units to operate independently. The soldiers deployed for border service are basically trained as reconnaissance rangers. Most of the time in the education company consist of field exercise, fire drills and role specialisation.
At the border, the soldiers are divided into four-man patrol teams. A typical patrol team consist of one patrol commander corporal, one communications technician, one medical specialist and one scout. Not assigned, but perfectly available for the teams are canine(K9 approx) corporals, responsible for handling and training the patrol canines, and transportation corporals, responsible for mobility, administrative tasks and maintenance. In addition, a portion of the border guards are assigned with a dual role; reconnassaissance and operations headquarters, they also serve as regular border guards.
The soldiers' main task is to function as border guards on the Russian border, guarding not only the border to a neighbouring country, but also the European border according to the Schengen Agreement
Schengen Agreement
The Schengen Agreement is a treaty signed on 14 June 1985 near the town of Schengen in Luxembourg, between five of the ten member states of the European Economic Community. It was supplemented by the Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement 5 years later...
. During wartime their task is to monitor enemy advance and gather intelligence on hostile movement, most likely during covert retreat southwards in Norway.
The border stations
From north to south- Grense JakobselvGrense JakobselvGrense Jakobselv is a small settlement on the Barents Sea at the mouth of the Jakobselva river, in Finnmark, Norway. It lies 54 km by road east of Kirkenes....
- Korpfjell
- Elvenes
- Svanvik
- Skogfoss
- Gjøkåsen
In addition to the border stations, The checkpoint at Storskog
Storskog
Storskog is a place in Sør-Varanger municipality, Finnmark, Norway, where there is the only legal land border crossing from Norway to Russia. It lies on the E105 road, 16 km east of Kirkenes....
is the only legal crossing point between Norway and Russia.
This checkpoint is manned by police, custom services and military personnel from the grensekommisær (border commissar).
Treaty and sovereignty enforcement of the Norwegian border to Russia is a three-agency operation. Østfinnmark politidistrikt, the police district, is responsible for prosecution, fines and processing of illegal immigrants, asylum seekers and border violations. Grensekommisæren, the border commissioner, is the policymaking and diplomatic department. It arranges contact and meetings with its Russian counterpart, makes agreements and rules and is a substantial part of the diplomatic process. Finally the GSV, the battalion of the Norwegian Army
Norwegian Army
Norway achieved full independence in 1905, and in the first century of its short life has contributed to two major conflicts, the Cold War and the War on Terror. The Norwegian Army currently operates in the north of Norway and in Afghanistan as well as in Eastern Europe. The Army is the oldest of...
, is responsible of military border patrol. The soldiers are granted police authority for border relations and is one of the few Norwegian law enforcement divisions carrying weapons and live ammunition on a daily basis.