Karelia Brigade

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Karelian Brigade
Karjalan Prikaati
Insignia of the Karelia Brigade.svg
Insignia of the Karelia Brigade
CountryFlag of Finland.svg  Finland
Branch Suomen Maavoimien tunnus.svg Finnish Army
Type Combined arms
RoleReadiness brigade
SizeWartime size unknown, peacetime size 600 career personnel, 4,000 conscripts annually [1]
Garrison/HQ Vekaranjärvi, Finland
Flag Karjalan prikaatin lippu.svg
Commanders
Brigadier General [2] Jyri Raitasalo
Notable
commanders
Timo Kivinen (GEN), Jari Kallio (MG), Pasi Välimäki (LTG)
Insignia
HeaddressGreen beret with lion's head pin

Karelia Brigade (Finnish: Karjalan Prikaati, KARPR) is one of the three Finnish Army readiness brigades. It is currently based at Valkeala. With some three thousand soldiers it is the second largest brigade in Finland. It is the only Finnish brigade providing training in all Army branches and houses the Finnish Defence Forces Explosive Ordnance Disposal Centre of Excellence. [1] As of 2023, its commander is brigadier general Jyri Raitasalo. [3]

Contents

History

The present Karelia Brigade was founded on 1 January 1957 by renaming the 5th Brigade. The lineage of the brigade hails back to the Winter War 13th Division, which formed the 8th Brigade during the Interim Peace. During the Continuation War, the brigade formed Infantry Regiment 8. Following the Lapland War, the regiment became a garrison unit in Kouvola, where it was renamed the 5th Brigade in 1952. [4]

Heraldry and traditions

The brigade keeps the traditions of the Regiment of the Karelian Guard (Finnish: Karjalan Kaartin Rykmentti), which was formed in 1918 from three other regiments. The brigade anniversary is on 6 May, commemorating the 1618 order by Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden to found the Regiment of Karelia (Finnish: Karjalan Rykmentti). [4]

The flag of the brigade is the old flag of the Regiment of the Karelian Guard, designed by Carolus Lindberg  [ fi ]. It consists of the Finnish coat of arms in the middle of an open laurel wreath. Each of the corners are decorated with the dueling arms from the coat of arms of the Province of Karelia with crowns. The flag is carried on a pole with the Cross of Liberty as a finial, and ribbons of the Cross of Liberty 4th Class. The ribbons are embroudered with names of locations where the original regiment saw combat during the Finnish Civil War. [4]

The brigade insignia consists of the dueling arms of the coat of arms of the Province of Karelia on a laurel wreath. As with the flag, the insignia belonged originally to the Regiment of the Karelian Guard, and was assigned to the brigade in 1967. [4]

Since 4 April 1978, the brigade cross has been the Torkkelinristi, designed by Pentti Vainikka. It is a cross of white and red, with a golden brigade insignia in the middle. The colors stem from those used by the officers of the Regiment of the Karelian Guard on their shoulder marks. [4]

The brigade march is the old march of the 8th Viipuri Sharpshooter Battalion (Finnish: 8. Viipurin Tark'ampujapataljoona). It was composed by Eduard Dupuy and arranged by Uuno Kuparinen. [4]

Composition (Peace time)

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References

  1. 1 2 Karelia Brigade. Finnish Defence Forces. Retrieved 2020-03-01.
  2. Maavoimat.fi, Retrieved 2019-08-25
  3. https://maavoimat.fi/-/karjalan-prikaatin-komentajaksi-prikaatikenraali-jyri-raitasalo
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Palokangas, Marko, et al. (2008). Suomen Puolustusvoimien Joukko-osastoperinteet[Unit Traditions of the Finnish Defence Forces]. Sotamuseon julkaisuja (in Finnish). Vol. 1/2008. Finnish Defence Forces and Military Museum of Finland. ISBN   978-951-25-1885-2. ISSN   1239-551X.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Karelia Brigade - For Conscripts, Retrieved 2020-03-01. (In Finnish)]
  6. Karjalan Huoltopataljoona. Finnish Defence Forces. 2014-12-30. Retrieved 2015-08-06. (in Finnish)