The Estonian Defence Forces winter camp in Jõhvi once again brought serious problems to light . This time, the victims were soldiers from an anti-tank company who had to cross the icy Valgejõgi River and spend hours in wet clothes until their bodies succumbed to hypothermia. What does this say about the national defence system and how does the leadership view the health of young people?
Soldiers As Guinea Pigs
The exercise was supposed to be realistic. As always, the argument is that soldiers need to be prepared for any situation. But how is it possible that no one in the command realized that soldiers soaked in ice-cold water needed a set of dry clothes immediately?
According to Delfi sources, the conscripts had to cross a river that was at least waist-deep in water. They were then left to wait for several hours. The soldiers sat in the beds of trucks for seven hours, their toes blue and black, some fainting and sobbing. A situation that would have been a state of emergency for any sane person was simply “training” for the Defence Forces.
Soldiers Are Responsible for Themselves
The Estonian Defence Forces have been practicing the same “every soldier is responsible for their own well-being” rhetoric for years. This time too, it didn’t take long for the soldiers’ own fault to be emphasized in a press release from the Defence Forces. They allegedly failed to apply “previously learned skills.” As if it would be reasonable to blame the young people for not being given the opportunity to change into dry clothes.
Hiding the Truth or Misunderstanding?
Even more shocking is the fact that initially the leadership was presented with a false version of what happened. This means that the Defence Forces were either not aware of their own activities or were deliberately trying to minimize the seriousness of the incident. Colonel Tarmo Kundla eventually admitted that the initial information provided to the leadership was incomplete and misleading. If this lie had not come out, the matter would have been quietly hushed up.
But how is it even possible that such flawed reports are being made? Is the system built in such a way that those who should be responsible can always retreat behind inaccurate information? Or is it simply a custom in the Defence Forces that bringing bad news can be punished, which is why they try to embellish and silence everything?
Military Service As Punishment, Not Preparation
This case raises the question again: is compulsory service actually intended to prepare young men for national defense, or rather to feed them into a system where health and well-being are secondary?
If the current system forces soldiers into icy water without proper equipment and then blames them for their own health problems, then we must ask: are we preparing soldiers or simply obedient commanding officers?
The leadership of the Estonian Defence Forces has promised to “analyze” and “learn” from what happened, but does this mean real change? Or is it just another empty promise that will be repeated again in the event of the next incident? One thing is clear: if anyone should learn, it is not the conscripts, but those who give them orders from above.
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