Amid global insecurity, more and more Danes sign up for Home Guard

Denmark's Home Guard has received one of the highest numbers of applicants since the Cold War years, suggesting that volunteers are concerned about the conflict in Ukraine and global insecurity.

The number of Danes signing up to join the Home Guard, a volunteer branch of the military, increased from 1,194 in 2023 to 1,613 in 2024, according to the organization.

"The number of new members in the Home Guard is up by 35 percent, which is actually the best number since the Cold War ended in the 1980s," Home Guard commander Major General Gunner Arpe Nielsen said.

The Home Guard said that it could not give the exact reason for the increase, but that their surveys of candidates showed many were concerned about global insecurity.

At a Home Guard training area in greater Copenhagen, volunteers trained at a media event, practicing clearing rooms and close quarter operations using weapons and blank rounds.

Taking a break after the training, one volunteer said that the current situation in Europe and around in the world had motivated her to sign up.

The Home Guard is the organization that supports Denmark's military in crisis and conflict and operates on a volunteer basis.