New recruits to the Danish army will not only be asked to bear arms, but to bare their arms and the rest of their bodies in a way they might not have anticipated.

As part of an experiment based on a Norwegian model, the young male and female recruits will be housed together in barracks, living, sleeping and bathing together.

Bolstering unity
The new members of the 4th company training regiment were unaware of the living arrangements before moving into Aalborg barracks yesterday.

Asbjørn Drechsler, the head of the company, told TV2 News the arrangement was intended to bolster unity among the recruits.

“The Norwegian report shows it evens out the gender differences,” he said.

“You feel more equal, and that actually creates greater cohesion between men and women.”

Mette Jacobsen, one of the female recruits, told TV2 News that the arrangements will take some getting used to.

“I think it’s a bit strange,” she said. “It’s pushing my boundaries right now, but later it will probably become more normal.”