Voluntary national defence

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.

Voluntary national defence provides you an excellent opportunity to sustain your competence proficiency in tasks relating to emergency conditions by partaking in voluntary national defence activities organised by national defence organisations, and by undertaking training in voluntary training exercises or training events. Your contribution is needed even if you have not recently been called to a refresher training exercise. Wartime troops become resupplied and replenished by means of other reserves during wartime.

Voluntary training exercises and training events merit replacement days equal to those of refresher training exercises that are credited while considering promotions. NB! Voluntary training exercises and training events do not decrease the overall quota for your statutory refresher training days.

Voluntary national defence includes, among others, reserve officer and reserve activities conducted in conjunction with women’s associations, national defence guilds as well as a number of branch and heritage guilds. As such, voluntary national defence stands for a versatile pastime activity. While engaged in training and exercises, you will befriend like-minded reservists and get familiar with your own home region.

Training of the National Defence Training Association NDTA

The NDTA training forms part of the reserve training system. Following the conscript service, apart from refresher training, you can maintain and develop your soldier skills and operating capability by taking NDTA courses, or becoming an NDTA voluntary instructor. These courses offer you competences and refresher training day equivalents that are considered while determining promotions. By participation in voluntary training events you may also more easily receive a placement in the FDF wartime units.  

Founded in 1993, the NDTA is a public body that operates as an organisation for cooperation in voluntary national defence training. The NDTA aims to advance national defence by means of training, communications, and cooperation. On a yearly basis, the NDTA organises altogether c. 2,000 courses attended by nearly 50,000 persons in total. The majority of these courses are soldiers’ military capabilities training events. 

Apart from soldiers’ military capabilities training, the NDTA also organises, among others, familiarisation activity for those preparing for the conscript service, as well as preparedness and safety training targeting all citizens to help them to cope better in everyday danger situations and in emergency conditions.

Additional information on the training opportunities offered by the NDTA is available at mpk.fi.