Compulsory Service

[aussieklaani]

I read somewhere that all "Finns" have to complete a military service at some point.....

Is this true, what are the guidelines etc?

I "may" have read something about a Sonata Arctica member having to resign as a result of this service not being done?

Very interested to learn about this...

[Sara]

Yeah, every man aged 18-> (?) has to do that. Women can decide themselves, if they wish to complete the service (it's optional, most of women don't do it). If your religional views/other reasons don't allow you to handle any weapons, the options are to complete a non-weaponal service (aseeton palvelus) or do some work for the society (the so called "sivari", siviilipalvelus). The training lasts for about 6 months, but if you wis to become eg a flyer or get a higher status than a normal soldier, you need to take longer trainings).

Other finns, correct/complete this please.

[aussieklaani]

Do you get to decide when to do it?

[frostheim]

In a nut shell:

The military service is to be done between the ages of 18 and 28. By the age of 28 it's absolutely compulsory to make a decision between the army, civil service or total refusement. Depending on the unit, placement and training it takes 6, 9 or 12 months in the army forces. If one wants to carry it out the unarmed way, one has to request it in particular; the unarmed service is 11 months. For the non-commissioned officers and officers it's always 12 months; for the others it's 6, 9 or 12 depending on - as already mentioned - the unit and placement. For the women it's fully voluntary, but once started, one has got 45 days to make the final decision wheter to stay or not, as after that even the women can't get away from the service before the settled time in other ways than by going to the civil service or total refusement (=jail) the same way as all the men as well.

If one refuses to go to the army, then it's 12 months of service in particular civil service placements. Libraries and old-age homes are the most popular and most known places for it, but the work is determined by the state and there are quite a lot of other alternatives too. Earlier the civil service was 13 months, but it changed now in the beginning of the year. If one decides to quit the army forces before the settled time, then one is being moved to the civil service (or jail, see below) and the time there is half of that time one had got left in the army. Once the decision is made, one can't go back to the army from the civil service.

And if one refuses to go to either of these, then one has to go to the jail for the time that is wheter a) half of the total time one would have had in the army or b) half of the time one had left in the army if one quits in the middle of the military service. One can get away from the total refusement if one makes a request to the civil service, but otherwise the compulsory service has to be done in one of these 3 ways mentioned in this posting.

In addition to these, one can get an exemption and releasement from all the duties if it's about certain cultural, religious and/or healthiness matters that won't allow or make it possible for one to participate in the compulsory service in general.

aussieklaani said:

Do you get to decide when to do it?

One can make a request for abeyance by proving that one has got very good reasons for it (unfinished studies, certain kind of job, family, injury that shall heal well enough by time etc.), but as mentioned above, the service has to be done between the ages of 18 and 28. The military service starts officially in 2 consignments every year; in the beginning of January and in the beginning of July, and the moment of starting depends on the time of the enrolment for military service and on the application one hands in to a military force office.

=====

I was in the army forces myself, the placement was on the navy side, though I was on the coastal forces (had a navy-blue beret but green camouflage uniform). I started my duties in July 2001 and served 6 months, thus I got it all finished by the beginning of January 2002. I served on defence and maintenance, and I got quite wide weapon training back then. My military rank is "private" and placement during the war (which I hope shall NEVER come here anymore) is "artilleryman".

[aussieklaani]

Wow!

It's all voluntary over here,

Thanks for the response.

Do they make immigrants participate too?

Example: I am 27 and I want to move to Finland cos I like saunas & Finlandia Vodka, Would I have to do "The service".....

[duncan]

I've always thought national service is a good idea, and I wish it would be brought back over here. Not neccecarily for the military, but also helping out in hospitals, schools and so on. The idea of giving time in service of others is a good one, and one that we sadly seem to have left behind in our society, where everything is for the self.

Dunc

[Lionheart]

Even I can answer that

Nope, for the simple reason you are not finnish and thus not allowed by your own laws to serve in any other country's army.

In fact if you DID serve in the finnish army you'd lose your Australian nationality and be taken to court for treachery or desertion.

National service only applies for those people who have the nationality of the country they live in.

[Nordis]

duncan said:

I've always thought national service is a good idea, and I wish it would be brought back over here. Not neccecarily for the military, but also helping out in hospitals, schools and so on. The idea of giving time in service of others is a good one, and one that we sadly seem to have left behind in our society, where everything is for the self.

Dunc

The military / civil service tends to be quite a problem for the people who whish to study, especially if they have to delay the service for a year or two. An year long break at the middle of the studies can do a lot of harm to them. Getting yourself an education and a job in time is IMO better for the society than a year long mandatory service where many people work against their own will. Also, they don't have any education about the job they would be doing at that point. A coffee maker at hospital or at school is ok, but it wouldn't be too helpful to have a whole age class of them

Edit: naah, I'm not a meanie...

[aussieklaani]

lionheart said:

Even I can answer that

Nope, for the simple reason you are not finnish and thus not allowed by your own laws to serve in any other country's army.

In fact if you DID serve in the finnish army you'd lose your Australian nationality and be taken to court for treachery or desertion.

National service only applies for those people who have the nationality of the country they live in.

Okay - What about all the men in the "Foreign Legion"?

There are plenty of Aussies there?

If I moved to Finland and was given a citizenship - What would stop me from joining?

That's not desertion - That's doing a service.....We have plenty of POMS coming to Oz and then becoming citizens and joining our army - I don't see them getting arrested....

The only time I have heard what you say being true is the case of David Hicks in Oz who joined and fought with the Al Qaeda......Idiot - He only got arrested for supporting a known terrorist group...

Confused?

[Lionheart]

I don't exactly know about the Aussie laws on it:

But in Holland it is quite simple: you lose your nationality if you serve in any other army than the dutch. Besides that you risk the charges of desertion. Usually that's not the case though. The charges are not usually pressed...

With Australia and England it's a tad bit different... as the Aussies still technically recognizes Queen Elizabeth II of England as your queen.

But to conclude: as far as i know, serving in another countries army always means that you'll lose your citizenship ( if i would join the belgian army, I'd lose my dutch citizenship.) In some cases charges may even be pressed but that rarely happens, unless you already served in the australian army...

We got the same problem with Turkish people. They have a double nationality: Turkish and a Dutch. In Turkey there is a compulsory service. But they can't\don't want to do that since they'd lose their dutch citizenship.

[Helevorn]

i think compulsory military service is the worst thing about finland (which is the country i love the most), but also about every country in the world

i hate wars, i hate guns and i hate armies.. i don't understand why i have to serve for one thing i hate.. the only things i want to do are, in order: studying, and working.. no armies at all, i don't want to see a single uniform

so, one of the few things i like about my country is that there is no compulsory military service

[rhiannon]

In Switzerland it's pretty much the same as in Finland. Only the first Service lasts about 3 month and then you have to go back every year for 3 weeks until you are somewhere around 35 (I think)

[wolferin]

Since 2008 in Bulgaria there's no compulsory service. I've always been against compulsory military service, it's only waste of time for the boys. Professional army of motivated people is better.

[Mighty Croc]

We have a compulsory service, and it seems that in summer I'll have to go to the army.

[Deleted]

The military service WAS compulsory here up until two years ago...l think we had a party because they've decided that. I was happy because that year would have meant that my brother had to go and ,serve the country'... Hate when people are forced to do that! Oh, Croc!they will cut your locks. Bläh!