Reply With QuoteI have plenty of respect towards the people who have the dedication like this.
Did you learn the language during your 6 months?
You ll be back training in few years?
Let´s hope that never happens. It´s an admirable thing you did for your homeland considering the circumstances. I wish I could have served in Finland too, but unfortunately I don´t have dual citizenships like you. However, if the sh*t ever hits the fan you can count on me as a volunteer in your armored forces.Originally Posted by KjääkAhopelto
Thanks for sharing the pics btw.
I have plenty of respect towards the people who have the dedication like this.
Did you learn the language during your 6 months?
You ll be back training in few years?
It's a very great thread, and it's a good idea that you never forget your camera during your activities. Sometimes, when I'm in military duty, I also take a camera with me. But, most of the time, especially on the field, I forget. Anyway, a camera would take place in my bag: a place that I could use for something other that is really necessary, even a small one.
where did you carry your camera?
Also, it's great that Finland paid your ticket for airplane. I'm a former regular of the Belgian army, and now I'm a PhD student in Japan. But, I continue to be very active in the reserve. When I fly to Belgium for activities in the army reserve, however Belgium does not pay my ticket> I have to save money all the time, to be able to fly. I wish that the Belgian ministry of defence would do the same than your.
Congratulation for your dedication to Finland, and for your spirit of real citizen and adventurer.
By the way, you have reason that we (European nations) should be careful about Russia. One day, Russia will go back again to an expansionist policy and will try again to creat a sphere of influence or even of domination. Moreover, there are many mechanism of policy and alliances that could also provoke some clashes.
That was just a short comment on that point.
relly good pics !! thanks for sharingI don't know about the turret. They didn't tell us too much about it. Just made us climb under it while it revved the engine and ride it around a really bumpy track as it went real fast.
Lets see what I can find here...
Hah, most of these were taken by the other Canadian guy in my platoon.
MG-3.
Practising shooting tanks with the Saab KASI 2-way laser system. Calculates ballistics and distance and everything. Seemed pretty space age, compared to our old TASI systems.
and many thanks for infos
I never realized how many people from abroad serve at the Guard Jaeger Regiment, as I didn't run into any during my service in Pori Brigade. I think there were a couple though. How's your Finnish, did you know the language when you went, or did you learn it during your time in service?
Anyway, I appreciate your service.
Its certainly quite an adventure to travel halfway accross the globe to a country one may never have visited to serve in it's armed forces. It takes real courage to do so. I wish I'll have the chance to meet such people during my own service in a couple of years.
My sister told me about a guy she met at the university who used to be Italian-Finnish and live in Italy. He had been in Finland only a couple of times and did not speak Finnish, but upon getting the invitation to serve in Finland he moved over and served for six months, learning the language during that time. He lost his Italian citizenship because of an Italian law forbidding service in another nation's armed forces but he didn't mind as he had never liked living in Italy. Now he lives and studies in Helsinki.
I kept my camera in "Yleistasku Mini" (General Pocket, Mini) on the tac vest. It was on the right breast. My camera got pretty ruined, its its not very sharp anymore, with all the rainstorms and sandpits I've crawled through, but it was worth it. You can see the light shining on the top flap of it there.
It was a good place to keep it, and if I watched out I could avoid anything hitting it too hard. I don't have many pictures from before May, because we didn't have our vests yet and I didn't have a good place to keep the camera. Also, it was winter and we'd be outside long enough for it to get permanantly damaged.
About my Finnish. Its pretty good I think. Everyone says I speak with no accent at all. I was born in Finland, lived there for a month, and moved to Canada, but we always talk Finnish in the home, and I've been there in the summer for a few weeks almost every other year.
I do have a few problems now and then putting endings on words, and I didn't know any army words. I'd have to ask what they meant, which would get a laugh out of my squad. They thought it was weird that I spoke so well, but didn't know what a "luoti", "hylsy", "maihari", or even "Intti" was when I arrived, and I pretty much learned a new word every other day. But these aren't words you use every day with your parents. Also, I wasn't familiar with Helsinki slang at all, having spent all my summers in Lapland. I didn't figure out what this "safka" everyone was talking about was until a week in. A lot of my officers never realised I was from overseas at all, and sometimes I wouldn't understand a word they said and they'd look at me like I was an idiot.
But, I learned fast, and its probably the best way to learn a language, to immerse yourself in it entirely, especially when you have a good base to begin with.
Growing up in Australia, my Finnish father told me about service when I was quite young and I got used to the idea of serving. It sounded cool, I loved camping, hunting, shooting anyway.
When I was 17 I applied for the peprwork and all I got was the 'do you realise you are exempt as an AUS resident?' line, I don't think the embassy was expecting me to volunteer. When I arrived in Finland in 1999 everyone told me I was crazy and it's not too late to back out. Anyway I did 9 months with 2.Jaeger/FRDF at Pori Brigade.
It was great but I couldn't speak finnish at first. I learned numbers and common commands in a few days but throughout my service people spoke to me in english. In FRDF most of our training was in english anyway. I only met a couple of other foreigners serving and that was in the Military Hospital in Helsinki (got my hearing blasted by accidental firing).
It was a great experince, I was just a 17 year old farm boy but I left with a lot more knowledge about the world. And a free 'working adventure holiday'. They shouldhave a similar system here I think, it would do the youth good.
Oh yeah, back then I had a compact film camera. I made a little pouch for it out of bubble wrap and sticky tape. I kept it jammed inside my 'pakki' (mess tin) which was in one of the webbing pockets. The old combat belt system, no vests back then! Cushioned in all that bubble wrap it was very safe no matter what running/jumping around you did. If we were in the chopper or on the APC I would take it out and stick it in my breast pocket for easy snaps. I've got 300+ photos, thats a lot of markkaa for developing! One day I'll scan them all.
Bell 412 - Co-Operative Banners 2000 in Norway
Super Puma - hitching a ride near Säkylä
Me back in the day.
Great photos mate, specially the bloke with the TRG, lol.
Another Aussie here, serving next year. Guard Jaeger all the way.
That can't be you Jurpula. I can't see your golden helmet anywhere.
Dude, you were an Medical NCO? So I suppose you had the pleasure of meating ol' rekku as well?
When were you in Lahti?
I see. But, I'm always worry to optimize the place in my jacket, vest, pockets, and backpack for my necessary equipment, then (unfortunatelly) it don't come in my mind to take a camera on the field. Also, in action, I can't on the same time facus on taking picture and doing what I have to do. But, after, I always regret to not have pictures to remember the time in the field. Most of the pics that I have were taken in barracks.
By the way, what means "safka"?
And, are you in Canada now? What are you doing? Studies? Working?
I kept my camera in "Yleistasku Mini" (General Pocket, Mini) on the tac vest. It was on the right breast. My camera got pretty ruined, its its not very sharp anymore, with all the rainstorms and sandpits I've crawled through, but it was worth it. You can see the light shining on the top flap of it there.
It was a good place to keep it, and if I watched out I could avoid anything hitting it too hard. I don't have many pictures from before May, because we didn't have our vests yet and I didn't have a good place to keep the camera. Also, it was winter and we'd be outside long enough for it to get permanantly damaged.
About my Finnish. Its pretty good I think. Everyone says I speak with no accent at all. I was born in Finland, lived there for a month, and moved to Canada, but we always talk Finnish in the home, and I've been there in the summer for a few weeks almost every other year.
I do have a few problems now and then putting endings on words, and I didn't know any army words. I'd have to ask what they meant, which would get a laugh out of my squad. They thought it was weird that I spoke so well, but didn't know what a "luoti", "hylsy", "maihari", or even "Intti" was when I arrived, and I pretty much learned a new word every other day. But these aren't words you use every day with your parents. Also, I wasn't familiar with Helsinki slang at all, having spent all my summers in Lapland. I didn't figure out what this "safka" everyone was talking about was until a week in. A lot of my officers never realised I was from overseas at all, and sometimes I wouldn't understand a word they said and they'd look at me like I was an idiot.
But, I learned fast, and its probably the best way to learn a language, to immerse yourself in it entirely, especially when you have a good base to begin with.
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