U.S. Army photo shows a Swedish Armed Forces service member wearing a 52d Air Defense Artillery Brigade patch under a Swedish flag during a static display May 2, 2026, in Halmstad, Sweden. The static display took place during Immediate Response, an exercise part of SWORD 26. The SWORD 26 exercise series demonstrates the U.S. Army’s ability to operationalize the Army’s Transformation Initiative through the Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative (EFDI) concept, leveraging in-theater forces to enhance deterrence and readiness. U.S. Army and NATO Allies will exercise across eight countries in the High North and Baltic region to validate NATO’s regional plans, harness battlefield innovation, and advance cutting-edge capabilities required to achieve speed, precision, and decision dominance (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Luis Jimenez).

More than 2,000 Swedish conscripts are injured annually. The armed forces claim the number rises as progressively larger conscript cohorts go through training, but based on data from previous years, the injury rate is increasing much faster than the number of soldiers.

Julian Strömbäck from Umeå developed tinnitus after an automatic rifle was fired during an exercise, leaving him with a potentially permanent injury from his compulsory service. Pliktrådet, which represents Sweden’s conscripts, says safety guidelines are not consistently followed before military exercises

Read the entire piece in Sveriges Radio.