The Finnish defence doctrine relies on the principle of territorial defence which means that the whole of Finland must be defended in all cases. This requires large war-time defence force to deter and fight aggression. As the financial means do not allow Finland to have a standing professional army of 490,000 troops, Finnish defence relies on large reserve. The 9,000 career officers are insufficient to lead a force of this size. Therefore, the junior officer positions in the war-time Defence Force are filled by reserve officers.

Reserve Officer School (Finnish Reserviupseerikoulu), located in Hamina by the South-Eastern border, is the unit responsible for the training of the bulk of the Finnish reserve officers. This means two yearly courses of some 750 men and women. The School is organized into a Reserve Officer Course and a Logistics Centre. The Reserve Officer Course is divided into nine companies:

1st Company, 2nd Company, Ranger Company, Military Police Company, Forward Observer Battery, Firing Positions Battery, Antiaircraft Battery, Engineer Company, Signals Company,

Some of the companies train officers on more than one line of study.

The Training in Reserve Officer School

In Finland, the military service is 6, 9 or 12 months long. Those chosen for NCO positions are sent after the 8-week basic training to the NCO schools of their units and ordered to serve 12 months. After the first seven weeks of the NCO school, those most suitable for officer training are selected on the basis of the first phase of the NCO school. Most officer students are high school graduates and start university studies after their military service. Some have already graduated from a university.

In Reserve Officer School the officer students receive a training for the duties of platoon leader (or equivalent). The curriculum includes studies in leadership, tactics and physical education. After 3½-month-long course, the officer students are promoted officer cadets and sent to their 'home' garrisons to train their war-time platoons from the recruits. After 5½ months of service the officer cadets are promoted second lieutenants and demobilized.

Traditionally, the training of a reserve officer has carried certain social distinction and opened doors in industry and economy. The new, more liberal attitudes have diminished this but still many keyposts in civilian life are held by reserve officers. E.g Nokia CEO Jorma Ollila was the Chairman of his Reserve Officer Course.

The high education of most reserve officers gives Defence Force a chance to fill many war-time vacancies on the basis of the civilian job. For instance, a manager of a truck company might be placed as a logistics officer of a unit.

Other Reserve Officer Training

Some special branches carry out their own reserve officer training. Among these are the Special and Parachute Jaeger units of Utti Jaeger Regiment, Armoured Brigade,Signal and electronics School and some technical and logistics branches. Navy reserve officers are trained in Naval Warfare School and Air Force reserve officers in Air Warfare School and in C3I Systems School.

External links

• Reserve Officer School (in Finnish)

Military of Finland

Reserviupseerikoulu