Some (random) pics as I promised.

Dog tags



Me packing the field gear



This shows how the bed cover had to be folded correctly before the silent hour.



Our oath day, every Finnish soldier takes an oath and after that basic training season ends. After that you are no longer a private, you begin specializing in your own field of duty. I'm standing somewhere in the row.



Some soldier's "literature"



Me in a snow suit and wearing a gas mask.



A combat "belt"



View from our accommodation facilities there.



View through the window of our room. Damn it was cold outside..



Camouflaged mobile comm station



My combat "belt", helmet and some blanks.



Cooking some "guerilla food" (Noodles )



Our accommodation facilites at the camp



Again, the camouflaged mobile comm station



Me guarding the main entrance.



The mast.



Inside the tent, note the most modern lightning equipment. Well it works in any weather and it's problem free so it has some pros too.. (Though I had my multi-led torch with me at every camp also, because someone let the latern to die every time.. )



Mobile comm station trying to fly



The half-way finished dugout I dig and an example how you should never leave your weapon..



A radar station



Our tent at night



Me looking/being half dead on duty at the mobile comm station at 4PM (After 5 days, couple hours of sleep.. almost all time on duty.. I think I smoked 2 packs of cigarettes during that time, and I don't smoke.. well that was one of the roughest camps we had..)



Scenery was nice though, our position was by the ocean.



My locker in a condition where it wouldn't pass a locker inspection on any day..

Hmm. I wondered where this thread was and i found it.
So now it my turn to perform my duty to goverment. It's kind of weird feeling but with any luck i'll survive it, alive hopefully.
Bit under eight hours to the deadline when i'm must be at the company or what ever that place is called.
I have to say that i haven't been this nervous for long time.

good luck mate , we will be thinking of you

Good luck mate!

Good luck soldier. Semper fi.

Thanks. About half an hour when my mates come to pick me up and then off we go.

So bye for now...

i perosnaly would love to do active service.

espesialy with the philipino special forces, as there knife skills are just mental!

same again with Uk Para Pathfinders.

but ohwell i'd do my back more damage than good tis a shame really.

Sounds cool when you say it like that dude.
in reality, its probably more carrying logs up a hill while a man shouts in your face.
For six months.

Nah.. It wasn't so bad, though there was some log carrying while someone's yelling at your face during the basic training season..

But now when I think about it it was a great experience and I don't regret a bit going through it.

Good luck Tourinki! Don't take everything too seriously and it's much more easier.

Dont really respond well to being told what to do. Specially if im being told to do something loudly and impolitley.
Think i'll leave the armed forces to those best suited. If it comes to it, i may join the resistance.
At least you get to smoke weed and wear your own clothes.

Well what comes to mind enhancing substances.. During the Winter War the Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol in here were equipped with methamfetamin pills to provide the soldiers increased capability to operate without sleep and food... Though I think it sounds a bit crazy to trust a man in amfetamin high to carry an assault rifle but I guess back then it was about what ever it takes..

And I'd wear a kevlar vest over my own t-shirt anytime in war time situation.

But it's true, military service isn't for everybody and it's good that there are options for those who don't want to take the army route.

For some reason most German men I know opted for the civilian "Zivildienst". I can't understand why, doing your HGV licence and learning how to take apart and reassemble a gun in seven seconds sounds infinitely preferable to wiping other people's bottoms! But it's a decision I've never had to make.

Tom

Well when you put it like that tom, id have to say that even i would prefer army life if the alternative is wiping peoples rear quarters.
And as fuse says, they sometimes even give you crazy fighting drugs.
Yummy!

Hello again.

So first two weeks are gone now and now i'm on my first vacation. And to be honest being in the army isn't that bad. Although beds and bed covers have been "exploding" quite a few times. And my room is on a black list apparently. It seems we haven't taken it seriously enough instead we have been "arsing about" bit too much...
Once in a room next to our room superior officers took the lightbulb thingies off because they left the room without turning lights off. And once in our room one bed was exploded almost literally almost everything was turned upside down. But that army like it or not thats the way how it is going to be...

cool man.
Glad its going well dude.