Utti Jaeger Regiment

The Utti Jaeger Regiment is responsible for training special forces for the Finnish Army as well as upkeeping high readiness of the Army Special Forces Unit and helicopter operations and performing executive assistance tasks. The regiment consists of around 400 hired personnel and 220 conscripts according to sources from 2018. Its Special Jaeger Company (Finnish: erikoisjääkärikomppania) served during the War in Afghanistan, training security officials in medical care, firearms, and operational planning, and has been in standby duties as a part of the European Union Battlegroups and NATO Response Force.[2][3] The Finnish special forces trace their history to the four long-range reconnaissance patrol detachments (Finnish: kaukopartio-osastot) and Detached Battalion 4 (Finnish: Erillinen Pataljoona 4), which fought in the Winter War, Continuation War and Lapland War during 1939–1944.[4] After the wartime units were demobilized in November 1944, the Army reinitiated organized special forces training in February 1962 by establishing the Parachute Jaeger School (Finnish: Laskuvarjojääkärikoulu, (LjK)) at Utti, near the city of Kouvola. On 1 January 1997, the Utti Jaeger Regiment was formed by merging the Parachute Jaeger School, Military Police School and Helicopter Wing.[5] The Parachute Jaeger School was later reformed into the Special Jaeger Battalion and the Helicopter Wing reinforced into the Helicopter Battalion.[2][6]

According to the newspaper Helsingin Sanomat, a typical special forces soldier has served in the Defence Forces for seven years and is around 28–29-years-old. On average, they run 3,180 m (3,480 yd) in a Cooper test and bench press 110 kg (240 lb). Before applying for and attending the year-long Special Forces Qualification Course, they often have served as a paratrooper or a combat diver during conscript service. Approximately 12 students are chosen for the course out of a 100 applicants after a four-day exam. All of the course attendees are trained in communications, engineer and medical care, and receive specializations later, such as sniper, vehicle, high-altitude military parachuting, military intelligence or forward air control training. Those chosen for career tracts after the basic course serve at either Utti Jaeger Regiment or Special Operations Detachment of the Naval Reconnaissance Battalion, of the Coastal Brigade.[7]