The aim of our study is to research what the future help-needs and expectations on the civilian society are among Swedish soldiers before they are sent on their first deployment abroad, especially to Afghanistan. The fact that Sweden sends soldiers to a warzone is something that is new nd research according the help-needs from the returning soldiers are missing.

This study is based on a qualitative method where the data consists of four focus group interviews with at least two participants in each focus group from three different military bases in Sweden. The results indicate that the soldiers´expectations on the civilian society are low but that they would like to have more support from the civilian society. An important notice during the study, we encountered the fact that the participants in some way feel stigmatized. The results also show that they want the Swedish armed forces to be in charge and provide the care for the soldiers where health professionals involved have som military background. In the results found we also see that they are in different extent thinking and aware of the risks with deployment in Afghanistan and that they are thinking more on the physical risks rather than the psychological.

One of the final conclusions is that if they really are stigmatized this might be a new group of people for the Swedish social services to work with.