In Wealthy Norway, Soldiers Take Turns Sleeping in the Same Bunks
Source: iStock.com/actual_size
Bed capacity is maxed out at Rygge Air Station. Guard soldiers have to climb into a “warm” bed.
Since February of this year, guard soldiers at Rygge have been using a so-called “hot-bedding” system, where they take turns using the same beds between shifts.
“When we first started hot-bedding, it felt a bit gross, but I got used to it quickly,” says Adrian Bugge Løvdal, a guard soldier at Rygge Air Station.
Løvdal explains that this soon became the norm among the soldiers.
“It was always in the back of my mind—that someone had just gotten out of the bed I was about to sleep in,” he says.
Due to a lack of space in the barracks, the soldiers had to keep their bedding in their own lockers. Consequently, their personal belongings had to be kept in bags at all times.
“It was worst at the beginning, when we were essentially ‘living’ out of bags,” Løvdal recounts.
The soldiers are required to store their personal clothing and equipment (PBU) in the attic. Bedding, duvets, and pillows are also kept there—stuffed into large trash bags—whenever soldiers are on leave.
“Eventually, I bothered to unpack into the locker, since we were allowed to use the rooms belonging to soldiers who were away on leave,” says Løvdal.
”Swept Under the Rug”
Tomine Fossli Måsvær, chief union representative for the Royal Norwegian Air Force, describes the situation as stagnant.
“I believe it is wrong that the Armed Forces are failing to accommodate the soldiers’ basic needs,” she says.
Guard soldiers at Rygge began hot-bedding—sharing beds by rotating use based on shifts—in the first quarter of 2026. Måsvær believes this has gone on for far too long.
She is also concerned about how the soldiers are looked after, both upon arrival and throughout their service at Rygge.
“I wouldn’t exactly feel welcome if I weren’t even given my own bed. Sleep and a place to sleep should be just as high a priority as food,” says Måsvær.
Måsvær also worries about potential mishaps and embarrassing incidents.
“I can foresee challenges and awkward situations arising—for example, in relation to menstruation, sweating, or even scabies,” she says.
Måsvær believes the issue has been somewhat “swept under the rug,” and she finds this completely unacceptable.
Temporary Barracks
To address the needs at Rygge, the Norwegian Defence Estates Agency (Forsvarsbygg) has been tasked with setting up temporary barracks. This was stated by Ove Haukåssveen, regional manager at Forsvarsbygg, in an email to Forsvarets forum.
According to Haukåssveen, the barracks will feature 120 beds, organized into six-person rooms. Each room will include its own shower and toilet. The barracks will also have laundry rooms on every floor, as well as common areas, including a lounge.
The temporary barracks are being built in accordance with the TEK17 building standard. This means, among other things, that the heating and indoor climate will meet the same standards as those found in a new, permanent building, Forsvarsbygg explains in the email.
A Step in the Right Direction
Colonel Ståle Nymoen, commander of 134 Air Wing, believes the air station is now taking steps in the right direction.
“134 Air Wing is very pleased that a temporary barracks is now being set up to address the needs arising from the increased number of soldiers at Rygge Air Station,” Nymoen writes in an email to Forsvarets forum.
Nymoen further notes that many of the buildings at Rygge date back to the 1950s and 1960s, and that there is a significant need for upgrades and maintenance.
“Although a temporary barracks is a step in the right direction, significant investment in facilities, buildings, and infrastructure (EBA) is still required at the air station to raise the general standard of the buildings,” writes Nymoen.
As of today, Forsvarsbygg has no mandate to execute a project for a new barracks at Rygge. Furthermore, the start date for the construction of the temporary barracks has not yet been determined. Forsvarsbygg is awaiting final approval before work can begin.
Source: Forsvarets forum (in Norwegian)