In July altogether 11,600 recruits will start their service in the Finnish Defence Forces

Altogether c. 11,600 recruits will start the conscript service part of the liability for military service on Monday 3 July. The majority, c. 9,000, will serve in the Army brigade-level units, and 1,500 in the Navy brigade-level units, and 760 in the brigade-level units of the Air Force. The Finnish Border Guard will receive 340 recruits. Of the persons liable for military service starting their service, more than 700 will be women in total.

– This marks the first contingent who will now start their service as Finland is a member nation in the defence alliance NATO, says Colonel Kari Pietiläinen, ACOS TRAINING, Defence Command.

According to Colonel Pietiläinen, active international TREX activity will be visible in the training of this contingent. 

– The fresh conscripts will frequently meet our allies while in military training exercise drills.

Colonel Pietiläinen points out that development of competence and training will consider, alongside the NATO membership, also the changes that have taken place in the security environment. The training criteria are in order as such, and the training provided well responds to the set requirements – no major amendments are viewed to be necessary.

–  The objective is to utilise military scientific research results on the training field as promptly as possible. The National Defence University, the Defence Research Agency, and the tri-service Research Centres play a central role in this. Lessons identified relating to the war in Ukraine are implemented by development of training and of exercises’ training objectives. 

Conscript service consists of phases

The conscript service part of the liability for military service consists of phases that comprise courses. All persons liable for military service start their service on the same basis. Training dependent, the completion of the conscript service part will take 165, 255, or 347 days in total. Altogether c. 49 % of conscripts will serve for 347 days, c. 14 % 255 days, and c. 37 % 165 days. The service period for officers, non-commissioned officers, and for especially demanding rank and file tasks, is 347 days. For demanding rank and file tasks requiring special skills, and for unarmed service, the service lasts 255 days. For other rank and file tasks, the conscript service is 165 days. 

The conscript service starts with a six-week basic training phase for all that provides everyone with the soldier’s basic skills. The service will then advance to its subsequent phases that involve branch training, specialty training, and unit training.