Finnish military ranks
The Swedish forms are used in all Swedish-language communications in Finland, e.g. in Swedish-speaking units of the Finnish Defence Force.
Junior leaders, about 20% of age cohort, serve 12 months and leave service as alikersantti or kersantti.
10% of conscripts are trained as reserve officers, serving 12 months, and leave service usually as vänrikki or in the Navy as aliluutnantti.
During peace time, reservists are inactive, i.e. they do not receive pay or have a position in the chain of command.
Reservists are in duty only when mobilized during a crisis or when attending mandatory or voluntary refresher exercises.
Nevertheless, reserve NCO or officer ranks are an entrance requirement to a military or border guard career.
After this, they continue their studies to sotatieteen maisteri (Master of Military Science) and are promoted to yliluutnantti.
The military personnel of the Finnish Defence Forces is divided into three groups:[7][8] The rank-and-file (miehistö) consists of personnel with the rank of sotamies or korpraali; personnel which haven't completed NCO training during their conscript service may be promoted up to NCO ranks of alikersantti or kersantti in the reserves, and their status changes accordingly;[9] further promotions past kersantti aren't possible.
Reservists belong to the personnel group determined by their military rank, but hold the position in the chain of command only from the moment they report to duty (or should have reported to duty) to the moment they have been discharged and have left the military installation.
The highest rank available to reserve officers is lieutenant colonel, but it is only awarded for special service or accomplishments.
The colours of the background and the lining on the Army and Air Force collar patches indicate branch of specialization.
In field uniforms, the collar patches do not carry branch colours, borders or corner accents.
The national flag and the serviceman's unit insignia on a coloured background determined by branch are carried on the arm on field uniforms M/91 and M/05.
However, conscripts typically only wear the Finnish flag and their rank insignia on their uniforms while not on leave.
Personnel serving in technical duties that hasn't completed any leadership training holds the position of Specialist (sotilasvirkamies i.e. military civil servant) at a class equal to their civilian education level.
Typical specialties include engineering, medicine and interpreters hired for UN peace keeping missions abroad.
In addition, they have a personal rank into which they revert at the end of their clerical service in the Finnish Defence Force.
At the end of their conscript, they are promoted to second lieutenants (air force, army) or sub-lieutenants (navy).
In past times it was the position of the unit's most senior career NCO, but nowadays the post is held often by someone from sergeant up to senior lieutenant in training units, or by a conscript NCO (alikersantti, kersantti etc.)
While the rank of komentaja is found in the navy, in general use it refers to a commander of a battalion or a larger unit.
After giving an oath or such guarantee, the private soldier is no longer called alokas but will be promoted to their private-level military rank corresponding to their service branch, e.g. tykkimies.
