Refresher training is a form of updating military knowledge of the reservist troops. Troops who completed the conscription service can be called for refresher training for some number of days.
In the Finnish Defence Forces (FDF), Officers and NCOs can be ordered to refresher training for 100 days in addition to their original military service and the rank and file (privates and other lower ranks) for 75 or 40 days. [1] The amount of refresher training that a reservist is called to depends on the importance of the reservists assignment, deployment, the amount of special training (i.e. training that requires constant upkeep of skills) and willingness. The aim is to train the most important wartime units at intervals of about 5 years. The average duration of the exercises is approximately 5 days and nights. Many never get called for refresher training, some get called frequently and some even apply for voluntary additional training. The obligation for refresher training ends at the age of 60 for Officers and NCOs and 50 for the lower ranks.
As part of the changes in the post-Cold War reorganization of the Swedish Armed Forces from an invasion defence force to a targeted mission force, refresher training sessions were not held starting in the late 1990s. Refresher training was reintroduced by the Swedish government on December 11, 2014. [2]
Refresher training periods in the reserve components of the United States Armed Forces were until the War on Terror typified by the recruiting slogan "one weekend a month, two weeks a year". Battle Assembly refers to monthly weekend drills, while annual training exercises last anywhere between 14 and 30 consecutive days per year.
The Finnish Defence Forces (FDF) (Finnish: Puolustusvoimat, Swedish: Försvarsmakten) are the military of Finland. The Finnish Defence Forces consist of the Finnish Army, the Finnish Navy, and the Finnish Air Force. In wartime, the Finnish Border Guard becomes part of the Finnish Defence Forces.
The Swedish Armed Forces are the armed forces of the Kingdom of Sweden, tasked with the defence of the country as well as with promoting Sweden's wider interests, supporting international peacekeeping, and providing humanitarian aid. It consists of four service branches: the Swedish Army, the Swedish Air Force and the Swedish Navy, as well as a military reserve force, the Home Guard. Since 1994, all Swedish military branches are organised within a single unified government agency, the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters, which is headed by the Supreme Commander, even though the individual services maintain their distinct identities.
The Austrian Armed Forces are the combined military forces of Austria.
A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is a military officer who does not hold a commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks. In contrast, commissioned officers usually enter directly from a military academy, officer training corps (OTC) or reserve officer training corps (ROTC), or officer candidate school (OCS) or officer training school (OTS), after receiving a post-secondary degree.
Military justice is the body of laws and procedures governing members of the armed forces. Many nation-states have separate and distinct bodies of law that govern the conduct of members of their armed forces. Some states use special judicial and other arrangements to enforce those laws, while others use civilian judicial systems. Legal issues unique to military justice include the preservation of good order and discipline, the legality of orders, and appropriate conduct for members of the military. Some states enable their military justice systems to deal with civil offenses committed by their armed forces in some circumstances.
The White Guard, officially known as the Civil Guard, was a voluntary militia, part of the Finnish Whites movement, that emerged victorious over the socialist Red Guards in the Finnish Civil War of 1918. They were generally known as the "White Guard" in the West due to their opposition to the "communist" Red Guards. In the White Army of Finland many participants were recruits, draftees and German-trained Jägers – rather than part of the paramilitary. The central organization was named the White Guard Organization, and the organization consisted of local chapters in municipalities.
Military service is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, air forces, and naval forces, whether as a chosen job (volunteer) or as a result of an involuntary draft (conscription).
The Reserve Officer School, located in Hamina, Finland, near the southeastern border, is responsible for the training of most Finnish reserve officers.
A reservist is a person who is a member of a military reserve force. They are otherwise civilians, and in peacetime have careers outside the military. Reservists usually go for training on an annual basis to refresh their skills. This person is usually a former active-duty member of the armed forces, and they remain a reservist either voluntarily, or by obligation. In some countries such as Israel, Norway, Finland, Singapore, and Switzerland, reservists are conscripted soldiers who are called up for training and service when necessary.
The military ranks of Finland are the military insignia used by the Finnish Defence Forces. The ranks incorporate features from the Swedish, German, and Russian armed forces. In addition, the system has some typically Finnish characteristics that are mostly due to the personnel structure of the Finnish Defence Forces. The ranks have official names in Finnish and Swedish languages and official English translations. The Swedish forms are used in all Swedish-language communications in Finland, e.g. in Swedish-speaking units of the Finnish Defence Force. The system of ranks in the Swedish Armed Forces is slightly different.
The Finnish Rapid Deployment Force (FRDF) is the spearhead international force of the Finnish Defence Forces (FDF). It can also be used for national defence.
A military reserve force is a military organization whose members (reservists) have military and civilian occupations. They are not normally kept under arms, and their main role is to be available when their military requires additional manpower. Reserve forces are generally considered part of a permanent standing body of armed forces, and allow a nation to reduce its peacetime military expenditures and maintain a force prepared for war. During peacetime, reservists typically serve part-time alongside a civilian job, although most reserve forces have a significant permanent full-time component as well. Reservists may be deployed for weeks or months-long missions during peacetime to support specific operations. During wartime, reservists may be kept in service for months or years at a time, although typically not for as long as active duty soldiers.
Sergeant is a Swedish (OR6) and Finnish (OR5) military rank above överfurir in Sweden and alikersantti in Finland; and below översergeant in Sweden and ylikersantti in Finland.
The Primary Reserve of the Canadian Armed Forces is the first and largest of the four sub-components of the Canadian Armed Forces reserves, followed by the Supplementary Reserve, the Cadet Organizations Administration and Training Service and the Canadian Rangers.
National Defence Training Association of Finland is a voluntary organization providing safety and security training to all Finnish residents over the age of 15 and supplemental military training for all Finnish citizens over the age of 18.
Senior lieutenant is a military grade between a lieutenant and a captain, often used by countries from the former Eastern Bloc. It is comparable to first lieutenant.
Conscription in Finland is part of a general compulsion for national military service for all adult males defined in the section 127 of the Constitution of Finland.
Vääpeli is a Finnish and former Swedish non-commissioned officer military rank above ylikersantti and below ylivääpeli. The rank is derived from the German rank Feldwebel and was used as a rank in the Landsknecht for the one who was responsible for aligning troops during battle.
European countries have had varying policies that confine women and military service or the extent of their participation in the national armed services of their respective countries, especially combatant roles in armed conflicts or hostile environments. While most of the countries have always allowed women to participate in military activities involving no direct aggression with the enemy, most began seeing the value of servicewomen in the armed services during the First World War when they began losing unprecedented numbers of servicemen. In the modern era, many of the European countries allow women to voluntarily pursue a career path or profession in the national armed services of their country as well as permit conscription equality, with minimal or no restrictions at all.
The Reserve Component of the Indonesian National Armed Forces is the military reserve force of Indonesia, jointly managed under the General Headquarters of the Indonesian National Armed Forces and the Indonesian Ministry of Defense.