Letter from Switzerland: Air raid sirens, trains full of soldiers on the move, an arsenal in every town - you can't help wondering what the Swiss know that the rest of Europe doesn't, writes Clare O'Dea.
The military preparedness of this small nation in the middle of the EU map is a source of fascination and bemusement to outsiders but it's a fact of life to the well-protected population.
The army has virtually no full-time active combat units but is capable of full mobilisation within 72 hours. This is thanks to the system of regular compulsory refresher courses and shooting practice undertaken by members of the armed forces for up to 15 years after their basic training.
Of course it also helps that Swiss men keep their rifles and uniforms at home on standby for a call to arms. After retiring from active service, a soldier can choose whether he wants to keep his gun. The majority prefer to keep it.
This determination not to feel vulnerable has driven the country's defence policy since the second World War and it has wider implications than just the organisation of the military.
Swiss building codes require radiation and blast shelters to protect against bombing. There is a place for every citizen in one of the many shelters, either under the family house, apartment block or in a public building. Air-raid sirens are tested once a year, with advance warning thankfully, although the sound is still rather alarming.
At the beginning of this year, wide-ranging reform of the Swiss army began. This followed a resounding endorsement from the population in 2003 - three-quarters of voters backed the government programme to overhaul the army.
The proposals include a cut in the size of the army from 350,000 to 220,000 soldiers, while the upper age limit for military service is being lowered from 42 to 36 years. The process of reform is now well under way.
The mandatory time of service for normal soldiers has been decreased from 300 to 260 days. All able-bodied Swiss males between 20 and 30 must serve, although there is provision since 1998 for conscientious objectors to do a type of civil service instead.
There is also a significant number of young men who obtain exemptions on medical grounds, however, they are obliged to make a one-off payment of 2 per cent of their income in return for this privilege.
Military service is voluntary for women and a handful sign up every year. For most of the population, however, it acts as a defining difference between the sexes.
Swiss men like to groan about the burden of military service but they tend to look back with nostalgia and a certain degree of pride on their months of basic training. Carrying rocket launchers up mountains in the middle of the night is the Swiss equivalent of surviving Irish college, albeit for a slightly older age group.
Before the army reform project, the Swiss army only appointed a commanding general in times of conflict but since January 1st of this year, Christophe Keckeis has been the chief of the new-look Swiss army. General Keckeis combines old Swiss neutrality values with an enthusiasm for developing the army's international role.
In a radical departure, the Swiss army sent its first foreign mission to Kosovo in 1999. It currently has 220 men serving there under a UN mandate. At first the soldiers were unarmed but voters agreed in June 2001 to allow Swiss soldiers to be armed for purely defensive purposes. The intention is to increase this force to 400 over the next four years and other peacekeeping operations are on the table, including Afghanistan.
The defence budget is considerable and the armament programme for 2004 includes procurement of material totalling 647 million Swiss francs. The main purchases are a data- link system for the fleet of FA-18 aircraft, 12 general purpose and mine-clearing tanks and two military transport aircraft.
As the Swiss celebrated their National Day this weekend with fireworks, flags and bonfires, they can rest assured that their slimmed-down army remains the most efficient anti-invasion machine in Europe.