Visiting the troops
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Three different military uniforms for infantry recruits Keystone -
Swiss infantry recruits near the barracks of Colombier, off Lake Neuchâtel Keystone -
Applying camouflage face paint Keystone -
Wet room for the troops in a former fortress on top of the Gotthard Pass in central Switzerland Keystone -
A trainee member of the parachute reconnaissance unit in Altmatt handling machine gun ammunition Keystone -
Soldiers in a Super Puma helicopter monitoring data of an aeroradiometric survey on behalf of the National Emergency Operations Centre Keystone -
Mountain specialists in action: a stretcher with a wounded victim is lowered from a cliff above the Devil's Bridge in the Schöllenen Gorge Keystone -
The mobile kitchen's task is to provide catering for the troops in the field Keystone -
Lunch in the barracks of Andermatt Keystone -
The army band performing on Parliament Square during a state visit to Bern by India's president in 2011 Keystone -
An F/A-18 fighter plane of the Swiss Airforce waiting to leave the hangar in Meiringen Keystone -
A squadron of the airforce's aerobatic team during a training sortie near Emmen Keystone -
Members of the Swiss army install a fence along a helicopter airport at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos Keystone -
A cannon seen from the outside at the former army fortress on the Gotthard Pass Keystone -
Members of a special unit in winter camouflage gear Keystone -
Sleeping quarters in the dorms of the barracks at Colombier Keystone
The Swiss Armed Forces train their members for a multitude of activities, including reconnaissance flights, close combat and abseiling. But critics want a radical overhaul.
This content was published on July 23, 2013 - 11:00
In September, voters will have the final say on a proposal by pacifists to scrap the conscription system and replace the militia army with professional troops. (Images: Keystone)
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