Military reports increase in applicants for peacekeeping duty

“Experience, money, and a possibility to do good” motivate 19-year-old Eetu Lehtinen

Tero Vauhkonen

Eetu Lehtinen

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The mountains of Afghanistan and the heat of Chad are undoubtedly far away from the snowy forests of Säkylä, where conscripts of the Pori Brigade who have volunteered for special training in crisis management duties train in white uniforms in a snowy forest.
      Today they are shooting with live ammunition in a scenario for a situation involving a surprise attack.
      The180 best applicants have been taken into crisis management training, and their skills are reflected in the results of the target shooting practice. Tero Vauhkonen and Eetu Lehtinen hit the white paper targets with nearly every one of their shots.
     
The young soldiers being trained for crisis management duties are seen as the new hope of Finnish peacekeeping activities. The stakes of crisis management are higher especially in Afghanistan, where the peacekeepers sometimes operate in real battle situations.
      They will be expected to watch out for roadside bombs, and to carry their missions through, even if someone is shooting at them from inside a crowd.
      “We are using the same kinds of equipment that will be used later in operations, and we are learning to recognise signs of a roadside bomb”, says Captain Risto Kohonen.
     
Most recently a force of young soldiers from the Pori Brigade were helping secure the Afghanistan elections last summer.
      The surge in enthusiastic young volunteers is welcome, as the popularity of peacekeeping has been in decline since 2000. In 2008 there were only about 1,600 volunteers. In the best years, in the 1990s, there were tens of thousands.
     
In spite of the dangers, duty in Afghanistan actually intrigues some Finnish peacekeepers. Last year the number of applicants rose to 2,200, and the most popular area of deployment was Afghanistan, says Pasi Kaunisharju, who is responsible for recruitment for crisis management.
      One reason for the popularity of Afghanistan among the soldiers is that the pay is higher. Serving in Afghanistan brings EUR 81.95 a day, compared with EUR 76.95 for Chad and EUR 34.10 for Kosovo.
     
Vauhkonen and Lehtinen would both be willing to go to Afghanistan.
      Lehtinen lists the reasons why he would like to go to Afghanistan: “The experience, the money, and the feeling that you’re doing something good for someone.”
      Vauhkonen follows the events in Afghanistan from the press and the Internet. Monday’s suicide attack by the Taleban in Kabul did not frighten him.
      “The forces that were there to secure the elections managed, so I feel confident”, he says.
     
The experiences of the force that was sent to Afghanistan to provide security for the elections, which returned to Finland in October, have been utilised in training. Eero Pyötsiä, commander of the Pori Brigade, had discussed the matter the previous evening with soldiers who had returned from Afghanistan.
      “The training has been gauged according to the most demanding operation. If someone can manage in Afghanistan, he can certainly manage in other crisis management operations as well.”
     
The tasks of the readiness force who are completing their military service in July, depend on factors such as whether or not Finland decides to send additional forces to Afghanistan. Now the need in Afghanistan is for soldiers with certain civilian skills.
      “For instance, mechanics and electricians would be very welcome”, Kaunisharju says.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Finland may increase size of force in Afghanistan (18.1.2010)
  Vanhanen: responsibility over a whole province could require more forces in Afghanistan (10.12.2009)
  Government ponders Afghanistan confusion (28.10.2009)
  Additional Finnish forces to be withdrawn from Afghanistan before election runoff (21.10.2009)

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