Could you make it through Denmark’s bootcamp for civilian conscripts?

How do you feel? I'm so touched. I can't believe it. It's so surreal. I'm sorry

What can't move in for? Sire! What can't move in for? Sire

These Danish conscripts have just made it through one of the most demanding weeks of their lives

A week designed to break them down and rebuild them for military life

I'd come to Denmark to see how its conscription system was drastically changing

I want to find out what it takes to turn regular people into soldiers and why you want to in the first place

There's a shadow number of many, many citizens who could grab a weapon and know how to use that weapon

In case something happens. So we are in this recruitment centre in Copenhagen

will recruit for the Defence, the Navy, the Air Force and the Danish Emergency Management Agency as well

Any prospective conscripts must pass an intelligence test and a medical exam to make sure they are fit to serve

and able to cope with the demands of military life. For those who pass the tests, a lottery system then decides their fate

The system is simple, peel back the sticker, and if your number is below 15,000, you could be called up to serve

So I got numbered 20,754, which would mean that I would be ineligible for conscription

So if I wanted to go into the armed forces, I'd volunteer. It's remarkable to think that these little red barrels shape not only the futures of the young people in this room

but also the future of Denmark's defence. Having dodged the draft, I still wanted to see what conscription was really like

so I headed out to meet the young men and women doing their service

with one of Denmark most recognisable regiments the Royal Lifeguards During my visit they were taking part in a week challenge living outdoors around the clock with little sleep and only half rations to keep them going

At the end of the week, they would graduate from recruit to official conscripted Royal Lifeguards

In Denmark, we've always had conscription, and that's been the same with lots of our NATO allies

There's nothing something you should be afraid of because it's not about forcing people into the

service, a place where they don't want to be. If they don't want to be here, there are options

where they can do other stuff for a different part of society

I think it's important personally for NATO as a whole to have citizens of those countries that can actually fight in case something happens

So what are you guys about to do? Do you have any idea what you're about to do? So we are walking. We don't know how long

We just know that we are home at about 7am in the morning

You're out for four days right now. So how is your morale and how are you feeling about everything at the moment

At night it's down. When it's light, it's up. At night you're very down. Feel sorry for yourself

Your energy and your awareness goes down as the sun goes down

It's going to be a great night. The conscripts would march all night in these shocking conditions, with high winds and heavy snowfall

But despite the weather, spirits were high. This was more than just a night hike

For these conscripts, the night is filled with surprise tasks. So right now, what they're doing is a mental game

It's basically kind of like battleships. They've got to remember which square goes bang

and the next person has to avoid it. BANG! More than anything these kinds of exercises are designed to test the conscripts resilience

pushing them to keep going when they are tired, cold and under pressure

After nights out in the elements, there's nothing better than finding shelter and getting warm

I found myself in a hangar full of exhausted conscripts, including a young man with a foot that had clearly seen better days

What's happened here? I don't know. I've just looked at it, seen how bad it looks

I haven't really been that bad yet, but it doesn't look too good now

I may have been put off my breakfast, but the conscripts were far too hungry to care

as they tucked into what the Danish army calls primitive cooking. That's the first proper meal that they've had in four days

Up until now, they've had to share one ration pack between two

But regardless, they've all got smiles on their faces. It's clear that they're getting a lot from the experience

As the exercise entered its final day, I wanted to learn more about the future of women in conscription

So I arranged to have a chat with Trina, the conscript's official spokesperson

Tell me about women in conscription here in Denmark. How is that changing and why is that important

They have to be conscripted as men do. And why is it changing

Well, I believe it's a new kind of world that we're looking into. And women have, of course, opportunities that men do

And we also have to participate in protecting the country. Because we are in the country and we are participating in society as a total daily

So, of course, we also have to contribute to this. I going to be joining these guys and think it an obstacle course The pace was fast and before long I had had quite enough of crawling through the snow We about to enter a building you can hear gunshots in there no idea what happens once

we're in. Come on! Coming to the end of the course now, I'm shattered, but nothing compared to what these guys are

The conscripts were still pushing on after five days of barely any sleep

Once they crossed the finish line they would officially become royal lifeguards

I mean you can really see what this has meant to these conscripts, not just this assault

course but over the past four days and over the past couple of months they've really put

their heart and soul into it so I'm really happy for them, great to see that amount of emotion

As Denmark's newest royal lifeguards marched back onto base

I was left with a new appreciation for what that title means. These young men and women have earned their place

For the remaining months of their conscription, they will now stand guard, represent Denmark

and carry on a centuries-old tradition. At a time when Denmark is reshaping conscription for a new generation

it felt like a glimpse of the future one built on tradition

but shaped by the challenges of today