Opposition and local commanders warn against the cuts. Ola Svenneby, deputy leader of the Conservative Party, told NRK Innlandet that reducing Home Guard training weakens preparedness and that the force needs more training, not less. The Home Guard is Norway's first-line defense, deployable on short notice, according to the Norwegian Armed Forces. Ståle Størdal, chief of the Lillehammer Home Guard area, told NRK Innlandet that less training leads to lower skills and increased risk.
Experts weigh trade-offs. Professor Håkon Lund Saxi of the Norwegian Defence University College told NRK Innlandet that Norway faces expensive projects like long-range air defense, which may be more critical than Home Guard training. However, he noted that increasing Home Guard training days is cheaper than acquiring more air defense, making compromise easier. Oberstløytnant Palle Ydstebø of the Norwegian Military Academy told NRK Innlandet that it is a classic dilemma when more money for one unit comes at the expense of others, and reorganizations often require sacrificing operational activity for staff work.
The Home Guard is deeply rooted in civil society. It is the teacher and the car mechanic who are soldiers in the Home Guard and are to protect their home area.
The Home Guard needs more training, not less.
It leads to less joint training between units, and potentially also that we must solve missions with greater risk.
Compared to that, perhaps training activities for the Home Guard are of lesser importance for the country's defense.
It is an eternal prioritization squeeze to balance the various activities and units.