Finnish military ranks
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Finnish military ranks form a system that incorporates features from Swedish, German, and Russian armed forces. In addition, it has some typically Finnish characteristics that are mostly due to the personnel structure of the Finnish Defence Forces. The ranks have official names in Finnish and Swedish languages and official English translations. The Swedish forms are used in all Swedish-languages communications in Finland, e.g. in Swedish-speaking units of Finnish Defence Force. The system of ranks in the Swedish Armed Forces is slightly different.
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[edit] Table of ranks
The ranks currently used by the Finnish Defence Forces are:
| Army and Airforce | Navy | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finnish | Swedish | English | Finnish | Swedish | English |
| Generals | |||||
| Kenraali | General | General | Amiraali | Amiral | Admiral |
| Kenraaliluutnantti | Generallöjtnant | Lieutenant-General | Vara-amiraali | Viceamiral | Vice-Admiral |
| Kenraalimajuri | Generalmajor | Major-General | Kontra-amiraali | Konteramiral | Rear Admiral |
| Prikaatikenraali | Brigadgeneral | Brigadier General | Lippueamiraali | Flottiljamiral | Commodore |
| Senior officers | |||||
| Eversti | Överste | Colonel | Kommodori | Kommodor | Captain |
| Everstiluutnantti | Överstelöjtnant | Lieutenant-Colonel | Komentaja | Kommendör | Commander |
| Majuri | Major | Major | Komentajakapteeni | Kommendörkapten | Lieutenant Commander |
| Junior officers | |||||
| Kapteeni | Kapten | Captain | Kapteeniluutnantti | Kaptenlöjtnant | Lieutenant, Sr grade |
| Yliluutnantti | Premiärlöjtnant | Senior Lieutenant | Yliluutnantti | Premiärlöjtnant | Lieutenant |
| Luutnantti | Löjtnant | Lieutenant | Luutnantti | Löjtnant | Lieutenant, Jr grade |
| Kadetti | Kadett | Cadet3 | Kadetti | Kadett | Cadet |
| Vänrikki | Fänrik | 2nd Lieutenant | Aliluutnantti | Underlöjtnant | Sub-Lieutenant |
| Non-Commissioned officers | |||||
| Sotilasmestari | Militärmästare | Chief Warrant Officer | Sotilasmestari | Militärmästare | Chief Warrant Officer |
| Ylivääpeli | Överfältväbel | Senior Warrant Officer | Ylipursimies | Överbåtsman | Command Master Chief |
| Vääpeli | Fältväbel | Warrant Officer | Pursimies | Båtsman | Chief Petty officer |
| Ylikersantti | Översergeant | Staff Sergeant | Ylikersantti | Översergeant | Petty officer 1st Class |
| Upseerikokelas | Officeraspirant | Officer cadet | Upseerikokelas | Officeraspirant | Officer cadet |
| Kersantti | Sergeant | Sergeant | Kersantti | Sergeant | Petty officer 2nd Class |
| Upseerioppilas | Officerselev | Officer Student | Upseerioppilas | Officerselev | Officer Student |
| Alikersantti | Undersergeant | Corporal | Alikersantti | Undersergeant | Petty officer 3rd Class |
| Rank and File | |||||
| Aliupseerioppilas | Underofficerselev | NCO Student | Aliupseerioppilas | Underofficerselev | NCO Student |
| Korpraali | Korpral | Lance Corporal | Ylimatruusi | Övermatros | Able Seaman |
| Sotamies | Soldat | Private | Matruusi | Matros | Seaman |
| Alokas (Rekryt, Recruit) | |||||
[edit] Exceptions
[edit] General officers
The ranks of Field Marshal (sotamarsalkka) and Marshal of Finland (Suomen marsalkka) were bestowed on Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim in 1933 and 1942, respectively. First was offivcial military rank, but second honorific title, but were used like military ranks senior to the rank of General. The rank of General may, as a sign of special recognition, include a service branch: those historically used were General of Infantry (jalkaväenkenraali), General of Cavalry (ratsuväenkenraali) and General of Artillery (tykistökenraali). These additions do not affect seniority. (There are no living general officers with such recognition.)
[edit] Military civil servants and specialist officers
Personnel serving in technical duties belonging to the officers without officer training hold the position of military civil servant (sotilasvirkamies). Their rank is comparable to either 1st Lieutenant, Lieutenant and Chief Warrant officer, depending on the level of the civilian education required to serve in this position. The lowest class is reserved for non-salaried military civil servants. Usually the military civil servants are an exception as their positions are likely to be filled by special officers, who have received officer training and hold commissions in addition to civilian academic education.
Reservists may be promoted up to the rank of Major both in special and normal officer ranks, if they show extraordinary commitment to national defence. In rare cases, reservists have been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Chaplains serve in the ranks of Chaplain (sotilaspastori), Senior Chaplain (kenttärovasti, literally, Field Dean), and Chaplain General (kenttäpiispa, literally, Field Bishop), corresponding to the ranks of Major, Lieutenant Colonel, and Major General, respectively. In addition, they have a personal rank into which they revert at the end of their clerical service in the Finnish Defence Force. Conscript chaplains and deacons serve in their personal rank.
[edit] Officer training
Conscripts who have passed a reserve officer course, serve as Officer Cadets (Upseerikokelas) and are considered NCOs. At the end of their service period, they are promoted 2nd Lieutenants. Cadets (Kadetti) are career military, attending their professional officer education in the National Defence College. Cadets attending the fourth year in National Defence College are senior to Lieutenants. Other Cadets are senior to 2nd Lieutenants. In addition, the cadets may hold a cadet NCO rank which pertains to the seniority inside the Cadet Corps but does not affect their ranks in relation to other military personnel.
[edit] NCO ranks
The NCO ranks in the Finnish Defence Force are filled by conscripts, career NCOs and contractual military personnel. The basic NCO rank is Enlistee (sotilasammattihenkilö), which is a rank and file position. Its relation to other rank and file ranks is unspecified. Career NCOs usually serve in the ranks of Chief Warrant Officer,, ylivääpeli (Senior Warrant Officer), Warrant Officer, Staff Seargeant and Seargeant, the rank of Enlistee being reserved for career NCOs without conscript NCO training. The contractual military personnel (sopimussotilaat) serve in their reserve ranks. After discharge from the military, both enlistees and contractual military personnel revert to their reserve ranks. The conscripts may hold the NCO ranks of Officer Cadet, Seargeant, Officer Student, or Corporal. Reserve personnel may hold any NCO rank. As both conscript and career NCOs may serve in the rank of Seargeant, career Seargeants use a small sword insignia in conjuntion of the chevrons to distinguish them from conscripts.
[edit] Privates
Sotamies is the generic rank for Private, however the word sotamies is no longer used in any service branch. The rank is always given the name specific to the service branch:
- Jaeger (jääkäri) in infantry
- Signalist (viestimies) in signals corps
- Armourman (panssarimies) or Armour Jaeger (panssarijääkäri) in armoured troops
- Driver (autosotamies) in transport corps
- Gunner (tykkimies) in anti-aircraft corps, field artillery and coastal units of the Navy
- NBC private (suojelumies) in NBC defence units
- Engineer (pioneeri) in engineers
- Frontier Jaeger (rajajääkäri) in the Border Guard (Conscript rank, enlisted Border Guard personnel are NCOs in ranks of nuorempi rajavartija, vanhempi rajavartija and ylirajavartija.)
- Airman (lentosotamies) in the Air Force
- Seaman (matruusi) in the Navy
- Coastal Jaeger (rannikkojääkäri) in certain units of Uusimaa Brigade (Uudenmaan prikaati)
- Dragoon (rakuuna) in the Dragoon troop of Army Warfare School (Rakuunaeskadroona/Maasotakoulu)
- Cavalryman (ratsumies) in the Häme Regiment (Hämeen rykmentti)
- Guard Jaeger (kaartinjääkäri) in Guard Jaeger Regiment (Kaartin jääkärirykmentti)
- Paratroop jaeger (laskuvarjojääkäri) in Utti Jaeger Regiment (Utin jääkärirykmentti)
NCO students hold either the permanent rank of Private or Lance Corporal and rank accordingly.
