Reservist military drivers ready for Hedgehog 22

Hedgehog 22 held in Estonia will be participated by the Army with up to circa 240 personnel led by the Pori Brigade. The training audience detachment to the exercise in Southern Estonia will comprise mainly reservists trained for the Finnish Rapid Deployment Force (FRDF) who have already began their preparation phase in Säkylä.

Prior to their arrival in the exercise range, reservists undertake preparation training that involves drilling assigned task-specific skills. This preparing remains key for reservist military drivers as they rarely have the opportunity to drive military vehicles on a daily basis. Of the reservists participating in the exercise, altogether some 45 will take refresher driver training during the preparation phase. Literally refreshing, this training emphasises particular skills relevant in light of the international exercise drill. For instance, special attention is paid to vehicle decontamination measures to prevent any potential hazards, such as the African swine fever, from spreading by soil particles on military vehicles. Furthermore, measures for sustained in-service safety and security are essential both while preparing for and when attending the exercise. As the terrain features in Southern Estonia are new to most of the training audience, it is important that the military drivers exercise caution while on the move in less familiar areas.

Sustained in-service safety and security as key to operating

In military driver training, the military drivers’ skills and physical condition get to be monitored since their competence and alertness need to be considered while on transport missions. For instance, physical fatigue may result in incidents involving risks while on the move by heavy vehicles. Beneficial for all, keeping calm, sporting the right attitude and following the given instructions are necessary qualities for military drivers who also need to know their vehicle and be skilled drivers. As always in exercise settings, sustained in-service safety and security remain key to operating. 

This preparing remains key for reservist military drivers as they rarely have the opportunity to drive military vehicles on a daily basis..

Reservists will bring to Estonia plenty of army equipment including armoured personnel carrier Sisu XA-185 and Patria XA-203, the latter of which will be equipped with a mounted overhead weapons station (OWS) turret, as well as military trucks and all-terrain motorcycles. As some of the reservists may be of a contingent dating back to a number of years and some of the equipment may be upgraded, the refresher military driver training will cover equipment update features in particular. 

In the context of an international exercise, equipment decontamination remains important too, and all equipment will be processed prior to boarding both before departure from Finland and on arrival in Estonia. The procedure includes inspection carried out by a veterinarian who confirms clearance for equipment to be loaded onboard. Although not a mandatory requirement, these precautionary measures are still implemented as the Army follows all risk prevention measures.

Moreover, motorised marches are a major part of Hedgehog 22. While on the move in a marching detachment, the vehicles must consider uniform vehicle speed and maintain adequate distance to the vehicle in front. The minimum distance between vehicles must be at least 200 metres to avoid causing too much congestion in traffic.

Refresher training for military drivers also covers instruction on regulations governing hazmat transport and load fixing in order to update reservists’ knowledge on safety regulations in force and to ensure sustained safety in all transport of personnel and equipment. It also pays off to keep in mind that the military driver is always responsible for their vehicle. This is also why the military driver training emphasises the driver’s responsibility for correctly loading the vehicle and following the set safety regulations. 

Communication is essential in a multinational exercise

For fluent communications, training undertaken will also prepare for overcoming occasional challenges relating to getting the message across in its intended meaning. Fortunately, the military hand-signals utilised are shared by all nations. Also, a national support element consisting of service personnel will attend the exercise and solve challenges relating to logistics, among others, already beforehand as applicable. To sum up, military driver training is always tailored to meet the needs of given troops. As for this refresher driver training, the objective involves revisiting topics already mastered, updating relevant information, and preparing the military drivers for the international military drill Hedgehog 22 that awaits them from 18 May onwards.