Army Academy (Finland)

Army Academy
The Colour of Army Academy
Active	2001-: Maasotakoulu
Country	Finland
Branch	Finnish Army
Type	Military school
Role	Career, reservist and conscript training
Size	ca. 600 career personnel [1] ca. 430 "ordinary" conscripts[2] ca. 110 3rd year cadets of the land warfare line[3][4] ca. 700 officer students during reserve officer courses[5]
Part of	Finnish Army
Garrisons	Lappeenranta, Hamina

Army Academy (Finnish: Maasotakoulu, abbr. MAASK) is a brigade-level unit of the Finnish Army responsible for:

• organising the service-specific and branch-specific parts of studies of Army cadets in Finnish National Defence University
• organising the reserve officer training of the Army in the Reserve Officer School
• guiding the career NCO training of the Army
• organising other training for Army career personnel
• pursuing research and development activities.

Organisation

The Headquarters of the Army Academy are in Lappeenranta. Otherwise, the Army Academy is formed of the following units:^[6]

• Training Center
  • Armour School (Finnish: Panssarikoulu), Parola
  • Artillery School (Finnish: Tykistökoulu), Niinisalo
  • Engineer School (Finnish: Pioneerikoulu), Lappeenranta
  • Infantry School (Finnish: Jalkaväkikoulu), Lappeenranta
  • Signals School (Finnish: Viestikoulu), Riihimäki
• Reserve Officer School, Hamina
• Dragoon Band, Lappeenranta
• Army Research Center^[7]
  • Hamina, most of activity
  • Niinisalo, artillery sector
  • Riihimäki, signals sector
  • Parola, armoured troops sector
• Logistics Centre (Finnish: Huoltokeskus), Hamina and Lappeenranta)

The Training Centre specialises in the training of the Army career personnel. The Reserve Officer School gives, in addition to the eponymous reserve officer training for conscripts and reservists, normal conscript training for infantry, transport and military police conscripts in three companies,^[8] two of which are located in Hamina, with the third in Lappeenranta. The company in Lappeenranta, the Dragoon Troop (Finnish: Rakuunaeskadroona) which specialises in military police training, is also, after the disbanding of Häme Regiment, the last unit bearing the branch colours of cavalry in Finland.^[9]

References

1. ↑ Ajatukset laajempiin kokonaisuuksiin Archived March 5, 2016, at the Wayback Machine.. Maasoturi 2/13, p. 5. (Finnish). Retrieved 2015-02-20.
2. ↑ Jääkärikomppania, Kuljetuskomppania, Rakuunaeskadroona. Finnish Defence Forces. Retrieved 2015-02-20
3. ↑ Kaikki paikat täyttyivät Archived February 21, 2015, at the Wayback Machine.. Finnish Defence Forces. (Finnish) Retrieved 2015-02-20.
4. ↑ Valintaopas 2015: Sotatieteiden kandidaatin ja maisterin tutkintoihin johtavat opinnot Archived February 21, 2015, at the Wayback Machine., p. 10. Maanpuolustuskorkeakoulu. Finnish Defence Forces. (Finnish). Retrieved 2015-02-20. According to the document, 3rd year cadets spend most of the year in service academies. In addition, 2nd year cadets study the spring semester mostly in service academies.
5. ↑ Reserviupseerikurssi 243 VAISTO päättyi Archived February 21, 2015, at the Wayback Machine.. Finnish Defence Forces. (Finnish) Retrieved 2015-02-20.
6. ↑ Maasotakoulun organisaatio Archived January 8, 2015, at the Wayback Machine.. Finnish Defence Forces. (Finnish). Retrieved 2015-02-20.
7. ↑ Maavoimien tutkimuskeskus Archived February 11, 2015, at the Wayback Machine. Finnish Defence Forces. (Finnish). Retrieved 2015-02-20.
8. ↑ Jääkärikomppania, Kuljetuskomppania, Rakuunaeskadroona. Finnish Defence Forces. Retrieved 2015-02-20
9. ↑ Rakuunaeskadroonassa säilyy jatkossakin aito rakuunahenki. Rakuuna 2014. Rakuunakillan tiedotuslehti. (Finnish) Retrieved 2015-02-20.