Planned reductions in armed forces will cause problems with conscription

Report on rearrangement of army detachments to be published today

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Possible closures of garrisons and weapons depots is causing problems to those in charge of Finland's universal male conscription. At present it is uncertain which military detachments and units will exist in the near future.
      Colonel Jorma Jokisalo of the Defence Staff admits that the uncertainty of the situation has caused some problems.
     
Today's publication of the report drawn up by a Ministry of Defence committee is hoped to shed some light on the rearrangement of military units.
      The Ministry is set to rule on the issue later this spring.
      Before that the report will be discussed in the Parliamentary select committee on defence.
      "We have to know at least two years in advance which units may or may not exist in the future", Jokisalo points out.
      A very sizeable number of the youth attending this autumn's call-up will not start their military service until 2007.
     
"If we are given until 2008 before the closing-down of some of the detachments, that will give us a sufficient amount of time to rethink the placing of national servicemen", explains Jokisalo.
      If some of the garrisons are to be closed down already in 2006, this will almost certainly require changes to already assigned placements of some of the draftees who attended last autumn's conscription.
      "Nevertheless, even if sudden changes are made, all the national servicemen can always be re-stationed between the remaining units", confirm Colonel Hannu Toivonen, Commander of Mikkeli Military Province and Commodore Bo Österlund, Commander of Turku and Pori Military Province.
      This autumn roughly 32,500 young men born in 1987 will become eligibile for national service conscription.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Government defence policy report released - armed forces to cut over 1,000 jobs (27.9.2004)
  Finland to eliminate infantry land mines by 2016; defence personnel cuts announced (13.9.2004)

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