Häme Regiment

The Colour of the Regiment
Active 1626–1809 Tavastehus regemente (Häme Regiment), Swedish Army
1919–1939 Tampereen rykmentti (Tampere Regiment)
Hämeen rykmentti (Häme Regiment) 1986–
Country  Finland
Branch Finnish Army
Type Cavalry
Role Logistics and reconnaissance training unit
Size 340 career personnel, 300–1000 conscripts (varying throughout year)[1]
Garrison Hennala, Lahti
March Suomalaisen ratsuväen marssi 30-vuotisessa sodassa (The march of Finnish cavalry in Thirty Years' War)
Anniversaries 3 October: day of founding
Commanders
Current
commander		 colonel Jari Anttalainen

Häme Regiment (Finnish: Hämeen rykmentti), (Swedish: Tavastlands regemente) is a unit of the Finnish Army located in Lahti. The regiment's main duty is to train conscripts and the personnel of the Finnish Defence Forces and the Finnish Frontier Guard.

Organisation

History

The original predecessor of Häme Regiment was founded in 1626 by Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden.

Mission

The Regiment is an administrative unit without significant combat capability. Technically, it is considered to be a cavalry unit, but it does not have light armored unit role of modern-day Western cavalry units. Instead, the regiment is specialized as a logistics training center which trains the bulk of the logistics personnel of Finnish Defence Forces.

The Häme Cavalry Battalion is the only unit of the Regiment accepting usual, non-volunteer conscripts. Twice a year, the Battalion inducts some 260 conscripts, who are subsequently trained as military drivers, logistics technicians, cooks or military policemen.

The Headquarters Troop also trains almost all medics of the Finnish Defence Forces on its three-week combat medic course. The NCO school of the unit, on the other hand, receives conscript NCO students from all units of the FDF and the Finnish Border Guard for special training as logistics NCOs. The NCO students are trained to fulfil NCO duties as medic NCOs, motor vehicle NCO, supply NCOs, weapons smith NCOs or hygienics NCOs.

Häme Cavalry Battalion

The Häme Cavalry Battalion is the main military unit of the Häme Regiment. It provides infantry training for the conscripts.

Military Music School

Conscripts of Military Music School playing in downtown Lahti

The Military Music School is open to eligible volunteers. Military Music School accepts yearly some 80 applicants adept at playing a musical instrument, on the basis of national entrance exam. The service term is 9 or 12 months. Most of this time is spent in the Finnish Defence Forces Conscript Band. However, part of the conscripts receive NCO training in addition to their musical duties. In addition to conscript training, the Military Music School trains career musicians of the FDF.

Sports School

The conscript training in Sports School is open to eligible volunteers. For service in Sports School, the conscript must be at least a semi-professional sportsman of national level. The conscripts of the unit are always trained for reconnaissance duties, interfering as little as possible with the sportsman's career. The typical service term is 12 months, most conscripts receiving at least NCO training. In addition to the conscript training, the Sports School educates the career reconnaissance officers and NCOs and FDF physical education personnel.

Logistics Training Center

The Logistics Training Center is a purely professional unit, centering on training FDF and Border Guard logistics personnel. In addition to its training mission, the Center pursues research and development initiatives of the FDF logistics branch. The personnel of the Center participate actively in the specialist conscript training of the Häme Cavalry Battalion.

External links

References

  1. ↑ Varusmiehiä kouluttavat joukko-osastot 2008. Reserviläinen 1/2008, p.38. ISSN 0557-8477 (Finnish)

Coordinates: 60°58′03″N 25°37′17″E / 60.96750°N 25.62139°E