Those completing their military service this year and those starting next year will face a new reality, according to Colonel Matti Pitkäniitty, Head of International Cooperation of the Border Guard.
Pitkäniitty, who will take over as commander of the North Karelia Border Guard in January, said that the involvement of conscripts in border management has brought the instability of the border into the everyday lives of young people. Among other tasks, conscripts have been involved in constructing barriers along the eastern border.
"Certainly, these situations have to be discussed, but on the other hand, this gives meaning and significance to military service," Pitkäniitty told Yle.
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Five or 10 years ago, joining the army might have been just a six to 12 month period in a young person's life, Pitkäniitty noted.
"Now, the war in Ukraine and the situation on the eastern border are making it even more meaningful," said the incoming commander of one of Finland's most sensitive border regions.
In Finland, the Border Guard trains conscripts alongside the Finnish Defence Forces. Pitkäniitty said that the strength of Finnish national defence lies in ordinary reservists, with those who have completed their military service joining Finland's long chain of collective resilience.
"After all, Finnish military service starts with the completion of conscription and continues from there," he said.
The situation on the eastern border this week is that, following a decision by the government, the border crossing points will be closed until mid-January.
Last week, the government again decided to close the eastern border until the middle of next month, due to continued suspected hybrid influencing tactics by Russia.
In November Finland shut down the eastern border in response to Russia allowing — or assisting — undocumented migrants to approach the Finnish border. The situation, which started last summer, brought around 1,000 asylum seekers to the border.
"The [government's] previous decision did not solve the problem. Many more decisions are needed to normalise the border situation to the level we are used to," Pitkäniitty noted.
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