COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Conscripts in Norway have been ordered to return their underpants, bras and socks after completing their military service so the next batch of recruits can wear them.
The Norwegian military said Monday it is dealing with a drop in supplies, partly due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Norwegian Defense Logistics Organization noted that due to "a challenging stock situation, this measure is necessary as it provides the Armed Forces with higher volumes of garments available for new soldiers entering their service."
Their press spokesman, Hans Meisingset, said that with "proper inspections and cleaning, the reuse of garments is considered good and sensible practice."
Until recently, the roughly 8,000 young men and women who complete their military service each year returned their outer clothing, but were allowed to leave the barracks with the underwear and socks they had been issued.
Military service is compulsory for men and women in NATO member Norway and lasts between 12 and 19 months.
Meisingset said the pandemic wasn't the only reason garment supplies are tight for some items. It also depends on finances, contracts and other issues.
Norway's national defense magazine, Forsvarets Forum, reported that this is not the first time the military has struggled with such shortcomings, and a spokesman said it "has been a recurring problem" for years. In June 2020, a third of the soldiers' clothing and equipment was missing.
