EIt's the last day of their compulsory military service. In a long line, the young men bring their bulging army backpacks into the hall. Little by little they give everything away: the uniforms, the wool socks, the tracksuits, the bedding. At the very end, they throw their rank insignia into a plastic box and the small Finnish flag that was stuck to their uniform into another. Most of the young men were here for around a year in the Nyland Brigade, a Finnish Navy base around 100 kilometers west of Helsinki. How it was? Well, one of them replies. The community is good. But the days in the forest are hard.
Afterwards, the conscripts walk across the snow between the barracks for a final lunch together in the canteen. Today we have Joulupöytä, the Finnish Christmas dinner: three kinds of casserole with jacket potatoes and gray bacon. Then one last roll call outside in the snow, now in civilian clothes, then they can leave.
People in Finland never trusted Russia, not even in the few good years after 1990. Finland fought against the Soviet Union in the Winter War and the so-called Continuation War. This was followed by many years of neutrality full of compromises towards its powerful neighbor. In an emergency, you would find yourself alone in the fight against your overpowering neighbors. So Finland kept defense spending high and compulsory military service.
Joining NATO as a turning point
This year marked a turning point for the country: Finland joined NATO in April and signed a defense alliance with the USA in December. Both times there was great relief in Helsinki. But the situation still remains fragile. Because people here don't want to rely on the security provided by Europe and especially Germany. The country is now facing hybrid attacks from Russia.
On the grounds of the Nyland Brigade, the Finnish as well as the American flag flies in front of the old brick barracks that were built by the Russians during the time of the Tsarist Empire; There have been around 250 American soldiers here for around two months, most of them Marines. They are practicing with the Finnish amphibious brigade, which specializes in coastal mobile operations.
“Who would have thought that at some point the Americans would be training here with us?” says commander and frigate captain Pekka Snellman. He is the brigade's chief of staff, studied translation studies and completed a general staff service course for two years at the Bundeswehr Command Academy in Hamburg, so he speaks German. In Germany, he experienced that the Bundeswehr was perceived as a strange thing by the population, says Snellman. Things are different in his homeland.
In Finland, the population is regularly surveyed about their defense preparedness. In autumn 2022 for the 44th and last time for the time being. When asked whether Finns should always defend themselves with weapons in the event of an attack on their country, even if the outcome appears uncertain, 83 percent answered yes. Approval has never been higher. It was lowest in 1970 at 42 percent.
The Finnish population is considered extremely resilient: There is training on how to prepare for crises. Protective shelters are ubiquitous and emergency packs are widespread. Key players in politics, business and society regularly receive defense courses, and almost everyone in the country has family connections to the military. Finland is the only Nordic country to maintain compulsory military service for all men; service is voluntary for women.
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