Danish navy reaches out to former staff amid severe shortages

The Danish navy is now contacting former employees in an attempt to fill critical staffing gaps, the Defence Personnel Command confirmed to DR.

Senior Sergeant Niels Pihlblad, a union representative in the navy’s 1st Squadron, welcomed the move but warned that pay and working conditions must improve for it to succeed.

“Whether it works is another question. I think other measures are needed,” he said.

In late April, DR reported that more than one in ten positions in the navy were vacant, with an internal document describing the trend as “very concerning.”

Pihlblad said his unit, which operates in the North Atlantic near Greenland and the Faroe Islands, currently lacks one in four crew members. The shortage includes personnel trained to handle emergencies such as fires at sea.

“When we sail, the first priority is our own safety. If those people aren’t there, we can’t sail anywhere,” he said.

He noted that staffing issues have persisted for 10–15 years and have steadily worsened. While sceptical, he called the outreach to former staff a “very good initiative” because experienced personnel are vital.