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Refresher training exercises Refresher training exercises sustain the capability of wartime troops and the national defence skills of reservists. A person liable for military service who is part of the reserve can be ordered to attend a refresher ...

Reservist benefits in exercises While attending a refresher training exercise you are entitled to free meals, accommodation, gear and equipment, as well as access to health care and medication. You are paid a reservist salary and a per diem for al...

20.4.2026 | The Finnish Defence Forces will shortly hold refresher exercises for consenting reservists. The objective is to prepare to assist in the Finnish Defence Forces’ tasks relating to surveillance and securing of territorial integrity.

12.2.2026 | The Army will exercise local defence during 20.2.–6.3.2026. The series of exercises will be participated by altogether up to c. 3,500 soldiers, a number of other authorities, as well as business sector organisations from across Finland.

Entailing activities that provide support to Finland’s national defence, voluntary national defence aims to strengthen people’s will to defend the country and enhance the survivability of both authorities and citizens alike in varying security situations.

In the reserve Once you have completed the conscript service part of the liability for military service, you will be mustered out in the Finnish Defence Forces’ reserve. As part of the reserve, your competence and know-how will be sustained by ref...

Promotions in the reserve Military ranks and service ranks signify a supervisory position, training and task. Promotions in the reserve are based on the number of refresher training days, wartime task as well as suitability. You may accumulate the...

Accommodation, meals and clothing During the military service, you will be given free of charge accommodation, meals, clothing, health services and social support services. The Finnish Defence Forces will remain committed to sustaining and promoti...

Readiness unit training Consisting of Finnish Army personnel and conscripts, the readiness units contribute to sustaining enhanced readiness in responding to rapid changes in the security environment on a national level. These units form part of t...

Reserve Supplementary Training Programmes The FDF trains motivated reservists from the reserve rank and file into reserve NCOs, and from reserve NCOs into reserve officers on reserve supplementary courses. We encourage all interested reservists to...

Get ready for military service If you get selected for service, you will receive your Military Service Order at the selection event or later by mail. It will tell you when and at which brigade-level unit you must report for service. The Military S...

Selection event Regional offices will invite those who applied for voluntary service to a selection event which will be organised in April. If you applied for service between 16 January 2025 and 15 January 2026, your selection event will take plac...

Conscript service and training The objective of military training is to sustain the readiness of the Finnish Defence Forces and to train individuals liable for military service in tasks of national defence. Military training is provided annually f...

Health care services During the military service, you will have access to health care services free of charge. Enter into service feeling well! All long-term illnesses must have been examined and taken care of and injuries treated prior to the ser...

Voluntary military service for women Interested in military service? You can apply for voluntary military service the year you turn 18. To apply, you must be a Finnish citizen and physically and mentally fit for military training. You can also app...

Communications and media In various communication conscription tasks, you can specialize in, for example, online communication, graphic design, filming, journalistic work or combat camera tasks. Graphic artist You support the Finnish Defence Force...

Applying for cyber conscript training Applying for cyber conscript training happens through the special forces application process before the start of one’s military service. The application period for the cyber conscript training starting in July...

20.2.2026 | The Finnish Defence Forces will participate this spring’s key arctic exercise series during 9.–20.3.2026. The Norwegian-led Cold Response 26 -exercise will convene up to c. 7,500 soldiers in Finland and c. 25,000 soldiers in Norway from altogether 14 nations. In Finland, the exercise activity will focus on the Finnish Defence Forces’ exercise area at Rovajärvi but forces will be on the move across northern Finland.

Air Force situation picture operators and fighter controllers Situation picture operator and fighter controller non-commissioned officers operate in modern air surveillance and control system elements close to air surveillance, fighter control, an...

7.1.2026 | The Finnish Defence Forces prepare the participation in the military exercise Cold Response 2026 to be held in northern areas of Norway, Finland and Sweden in March 2026.