Setermoen is the administrative center of the municipality of
Bardu in the south of Fylke Troms og Finnmark in Norway. The place
is situated by the river Barduelva, about 25km east of Sjøvegan and
about 25km south of Bardufoss. Setermoen is 80 m above sea level and
has 2468 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2021).
The municipal
council granted Setermoen city rights in 1999, but this was rejected
and prevented by the Norwegian central government because the town
has fewer than 5,000 inhabitants.
location
Setermoen is
situated along the Barduelva river and on the shore of Lake
Sætervatnet in the middle of the Bardudalen valley. The place is
about 23km south of Andselv with Bardufoss Airport. and
approximately 75km east of Harstad town. The E6 runs through the
center of Setermoen. Both the Bardu kirke and the Setermoen military
camp are located in Setermoen.
Military camp Setermoen
Military training was introduced in Setermoen in 1898. The site was
chosen for its strategic location in the middle of Bergen, making it
one of the oldest operational army bases in Norway. The presence of
the Norwegian Army has shaped the place in many ways.
There
are a total of 1000 soldiers and 500 officers in Setermoen, making
it the largest garrison in Norway. As part of Brigade North, the
following parts are located in Setermoen:
Artilleribataljonen
(Artillery Battalion)
Panserbataljonen (tank battalion)
Sanitetsbataljonen (Medical Battalion)
Etteretningsbataljonen
(espionage battalion)
A major renovation program has been
underway since July 2012. Most of the buildings and barracks of the
military camp will be demolished and replaced with new ones. The
project will cost over NOK 1 billion. The reason for the project is
that after the end of the cold war, the tasks of the army have
changed and more efforts have to be made to recruit volunteers.