Welcome to Community Week and the story of Garrison’s Day. A big thank you to our community member Triple Duchess for her contribution!
On September 7, King Carl Gustaf attended Garrisons Day in Boden, Sweden. The event was held at Norrbotten’s Regiment I19, in county Norrbotten, Sweden, which is a part of the 3 different regiments that make up the Garrison of Boden. The regiment was established in 1841.
The King presented the regiment with a new banner, replacing the former banner was presented to the regiment by the king in 1974. The King gave a speech on the regiment’s history, the historical importance of the city of Boden as a former major army town. We once had one of the highest number of different regiments and military presence in the country and can also boast about Boden’s Fortress. This is a collection of fortresses built into the surrounding mountains and countryside, built in early 20th century in case of a Russian invasion.
The King also made mention of the fact that my dear hometown Boden is celebrating 100 years this year. He presented the new banner, inspected the troops, listened to a sermon by the military chaplain and attended an military vehicle ceremony.
Excerpt of the King’s speech:
“The hundred-year-old Boden, with its fortress and garrison, has long been a cornerstone of the nation’s defense. And so it still is. Protecting Sweden and defending the country’s freedom – that is the task of the Armed Forces. But, in order to best solve that task, collaboration is required. Therefore, it is gratifying to see that Garrison’s Day brings together representatives from many parts of society: from the garrison’s associations and staffs to the municipality and other partners, “the King said when he visited Boden today to hand over a new banner to the Norrbotten Regiment (I 19 ).
The following photos courtesy of newspaper “The Northern Social Democrat”.
