Alta becomes army municipality: – a milestone

This means that Alta joins the good company together with Porsanger and Sør-Varanger. Together, they constitute the local civil-military collaboration for the new Finnmark Brigade.

– a milestone

The head of the Army Major Lars Lervik, thinks it is a big event.

– Having Alta as an army municipality is a milestone. We saw this especially during the NATO exercise Nordic Response last year, where the learning the army got from practicing in the area is hugely valuable for our further development. I know many are eagerly waiting for decisions about locations, it is still under investigation, says Lervik in a press release

-For me, it is about seeing the expansion of Finnmark land defense to Finnmarksbrigade in Sør-Varanger, Porsanger and Alta together. I am confident that together we get to build the Finnmark brigade with all it requires of new expertise, recruitment, material, building and infrastructure in the best possible way and very much look forward to the continuation, says Lars Lervik.

Finally back

Alta Mayor Monica Nielsen thinks it is great that Alta is back.

– The army has been in Alta before, and now we are finally back as an army municipality. There have been educational days at the mayor’s meeting with the other army municipalities and I am very pleased to be in the running. In Alta, we have great zeal to contribute to civil-military cooperation on Finnmarksbrigade and other initiatives throughout the region, says Nielsen.

Porsanger Mayor Jo-Inge Hesjevik is pleased that the brigade is underway.

« Although we like to see everything being built up with us, we work with the other Army municipalities based on what the army comes up with is the best military and security in the time we are in, » says Hesjevik in the press release from the Army Staff.

Resistant population

The war in Ukraine requires increased security in our neighborhoods. There is a need for overall effort. Army Chief Lars Lervik tells his own website that total preparedness is about more military strength.

– The municipalities and the inhabitants are the foundation of a resistant society. Therefore, it is important that we also facilitate education, development and predictability for the Armed Forces and a resistant population. Now it’s serious. The security policy reality requires that we prioritize and cooperate – to secure our country, and to continue to protect what we love is the message from the Army Chief.