Mr. Dendias said he was impressed by the fact that “in a very short period of time, young people are turned into soldiers, who can fight and defend themselves”, as well as by the fact that “there is a large, extensive use of ammunition and there is extensive training in the woods and in real combat conditions.
Greek officers will come who will delve even deeper, but what is becoming obvious is that a citizen army can meet the needs of the 21st century.
And I am particularly happy to see that the choice that the Hellenic Republic has always made, to rely on the citizen army, is a correct choice. We need professional staff, we are proud of our professional staff, but our backbone is always the citizen army. They defend the homeland, they defend the Republic”, he concluded.
Furthermore, Mr. Dendias was briefed at the European Center of Excellence for dealing with hybrid threats – where a Greek officer is stationed – by the director of the center Teija Tiilikainen, while he met with the former Minister of Foreign Affairs and member of the Finnish Parliament Pekka Haavisto.
I watched the training of conscripts in a unit in Finland and found in practice how in a very short time young people can turn into soldiers and defend themselves, with training in the woods and in real combat conditions.… pic.twitter.com/ffaZHoARMP
— Nikos Dendias (@NikosDendias) February 27, 2024
The Finnish defense forces are based on universal male conscription. All men over the age of 18 are required to serve 165, 255 or 347 days. Approximately 27,000 conscripts are trained annually.
About 80% of Finnish male citizens complete their service. Thus, Finland has one of the highest conscription rates, along with countries such as Singapore, Israel, Armenia, South Korea, Turkey, Estonia and North Korea. Conscripts first receive basic training (8 weeks), following which they are assigned to various units for special training.
Hoplites trained for tasks that do not require special skills serve for five and a half months. In technically demanding duties, the length of service is eight and a half months or (in some cases, such as those selected for NCO or officer training) eleven and a half months.
All males are required to report to the conscription event of their municipality of residence in the fall of the year they turn 18. The Finnish Defense Forces send young people an official invitation to the event together with an information pack.
Before the enlistment event, the man must visit a municipal doctor for a physical examination. The conscription event is held simultaneously for all men of the municipality’s age group. In cities where this is not possible, people who have reached the age of 18 are divided into different days based on the first letters of the surname.
The conscription event consists of a series of lectures, following which a doctor appointed by the municipality examines each man. After the examination, the young person meets the recruitment committee in person. The conscription board consists of two officers from the military district office and a civilian appointed by the municipality. The youth can express his wishes for the place of service, branch of service and time of enlistment.
After that, the board decides if the youth is fit for service. If it is not, it is fully or temporarily exempted. Those who are fit for duty are given an order of enlistment specifying the place of duty and time of enlistment or, if necessary, a letter of deferral of duty.
The youth also has the option of choosing national service before the conscription committee. The draft board’s decision to order enlistment or declare unfit for service may be appealed to the Central Draft Board, which consists of five legally qualified members and two members who hold at least the rank of lieutenant colonel. The decision of the Central Conscription Board is final.
The draft board uses a six-point system (of which only five are in active use) to determine a draftee’s suitability for service:
Completely healthy, fit for any service
Minor or severe disability
Exemption from service in time of peace
Exempted from wartime and peacetime service, no longer used
Temporary release from service (e.g. due to surgery)
Those who do not attend are brought in by the police. If they are not found, they are ordered to report to the military district office and, if necessary, brought there for examination and conscription by the police. In addition, they are prosecuted and fined. Those residing abroad can report to the nearest Finnish embassy for a medical examination and pension.
Those who do not come to the retirement event are brought to the event by the police. If they are not found, they are ordered to report to the military district office and, if necessary, brought there for examination and conscription by the police. In addition, they are prosecuted and fined. Those residing abroad can report to the nearest Finnish embassy for a medical examination and pension.
Conscripts are drafted twice a year, in January and July. The enlistment order received by the conscription committee is binding: The conscript becomes a soldier at the time indicated in the order, even if he is absent from the service. Failure to report for duty is prosecuted as absent without leave or desertion. Basic education
Basic training takes place during the first eight weeks. At the end of basic training, the actual training specialty and, consequently, the length of service, is decided by the brigade commander on the recommendation of the company commander. Those destined for leadership training then attend the NCO course. After the seven-week phase I of the program, a portion of the students are sent to the Officer Reserve School or an equivalent institution for officer training, while the remaining noncommissioned officer students complete the 12-week phase II of the NCO course.
At the same time, the rank and file receive their specialized training in their field, often in the same unit where they received their basic training. After NCOs or their reserve officers complete training, new enlisted officers are sent to regular units to serve in charge of the next incoming batch of enlisted men.
Non-commissioned officers serve as corporals (in the Navy, petty officers 3rd class), with the possibility of promotion to sergeant (commissioned officer 2nd class).
Those who have graduated from the Officer Reserve School or equivalent school serve as officer candidates, ranking below career personnel but above draft sergeants. At the end of their term, officer candidates are promoted to second lieutenants (in the navy, lieutenants). Lancers are eligible for promotion to lance corporal (in the navy, sailor) for exceptionally good service.
The terms of service are set so that enlisted leaders retire with the rank and file of that particular series. After discharge, conscripts retain their ranks as inactive reserve ranks.
After their military service, conscripts are placed in the reserve until the age of 50 or 60, depending on their military rank. During their time in the reserve, reservists are required to be activated for five types of service:
mandatory military refresher exercises for a maximum period of 40, 75 or 100 days, depending on the military rank of the reservist,
emergency activation during a large-scale disaster or infectious outbreak;
emergency activation if the military threat once morest Finland has seriously increased;
partial mobilization
full mobilization
Men who do not belong to the reserve can only be activated in case of full mobilization, while regular personnel who have reached the age of 50 only by special parliamentary decision.
In addition to mandatory retraining exercises, the reserve may be activated for voluntary exercises, but participation in them is, as the name suggests, voluntary. However, when the reservist responds positively to a request for voluntary activation, he becomes an active member of the military for the duration of the exercise, with the same rights and obligations as a mandatorily activated reservist, albeit with a single allowance corresponding only to the lowest enlisted allowance.
Reservists who have been compulsorily activated for any reason receive a taxable wage of 58.85-64.50 euros per day, based on their rank, and a tax-free allowance corresponding to the lowest conscript allowance.
As with enlistment, the activated reservist becomes a military member the moment he or she is ordered to report for duty. Disobeying the activation order is prosecuted as absent without leave or desertion, depending on the duration of the absence.
Military service can start following the age of 18, but can be delayed due to studies, work or other personal reasons until the age of 28. In addition to housing, food, clothing and healthcare, conscripts receive a tax-free allowance of between €5.10 and €11.90 per day, depending on how long they have served. In addition to the basic allowance, conscripts serving as parachutists, divers or pilots receive a hazard allowance of €10-20 per jump or dive day or, for pilots, €182 per month.
The state pays the conscript’s rent and electricity bills. If conscripts have families, they are also entitled to allowances. Reservists are entitled to similar support only if the total income of the reservist’s family from all sources is below a certain, rather low, threshold.
It is illegal to dismiss an employee due to absence due to military service or due to a renewal or activation exercise. Women who volunteer for military service receive the same allowances as men and a small added benefit because they are expected to provide their own underwear and other personal items.
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