Moving from Australia for army service.

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Finn4life1
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Joined: Tue Oct 13, 2015 2:27 pm

Moving from Australia for army service.

Post by Finn4life1 » Tue Oct 13, 2015 3:16 pm

I live in Australia and am a Finnish Citizen, I have a passport, and social security number, I am 21 years old in a matter of weeks.

I was born in Australia and both my parents are Finnish, they met over here, so I got my citizenship that way, I have never visited Finland, and even though it was my first language, I stopped speaking it for a long time, I am just picking it back up again, it comes quick. I have many relatives in finland, including two Uncles who used to live here. My Uncles suggest moving up north, because army service in Helsinki will mostly be trudging around in mud. However I dunno if, for a foreigner who is cashed up and wants an amazing experience on my time off it will be fun up north.

Where do you think a great place would be? I am outgoing, very fit, healthy, and I am learning the language quite fast, and I want to live somewhere with enough people so I can go out to club, and not see the exact same people at the same places every weekend, I want a good night life, perhaps travelling to Helsinki for weekends is an option.
Anyway, let me know your thoughts guys!



Moving from Australia for army service.

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betelgeuse
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Re: Moving from Australia for army service.

Post by betelgeuse » Tue Oct 13, 2015 11:40 pm

Finn4life1 wrote:
Where do you think a great place would be? I am outgoing, very fit, healthy, and I am learning the language quite fast, and I want to live somewhere with enough people so I can go out to club, and not see the exact same people at the same places every weekend, I want a good night life, perhaps travelling to Helsinki for weekends is an option.
Anyway, let me know your thoughts guys!
Forget traveling to Helsinki from the Northern garrisons. It would eat a lot of time out of short holidays. I would base garrison choices on what happens there army wise since that's what bulk of your time goes to. Night life wise capital region has around a million people. All the other cities have under 200k people. Do the math.

Rosamunda
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Re: Moving from Australia for army service.

Post by Rosamunda » Wed Oct 14, 2015 12:28 am

I'm not sure you get much choice... If you want to do the exciting stuff you need to be here to take the selection tests (which include some IQ tests in Finnish)

Finn4life1
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Joined: Tue Oct 13, 2015 2:27 pm

Re: Moving from Australia for army service.

Post by Finn4life1 » Wed Oct 14, 2015 6:35 am

tummansininen wrote:I'm not sure you get much choice because you might be placed in the dirty-furriner camp where they send all the Swedish-speakers and non-Finnish speakers - which I'm pretty sure someone has said is close to Helsinki? Yeah, I know you've said you used to speak the language and you're getting it back, but my kid got called up this year (18yo) and every other kid in that meeting was brown or not 100% fluent, and it's no coincidence. I am not sure they will offer many location choices with patchy Finnish.

I do have a question though, why is it that you want to serve? You do realise you could ask for an exemption if you wanted, based on not actually living here, and if you just want serving in general, the Aus army offers decent pay and the opportunity of a degree at the same time. Are you a dual citizen? Well, I'm guessing you could get it by naturalisation if you don't have it already.

Australians can be here 6 months visa-free if you travel on an Australian passport as a tourist only and don't actually register here as a resident & Finnish citizen. Spend a few months living in Helsinki first and see if Finland in winter is as exciting as the rose-coloured glasses make it look. There's a reason that your parents both moved away and stayed away. And if you think Finns are party animals compared with Australians, I think you're in for quite an awakening.
Well, having less choice might be a good thing, thanks for letting me know, because I have no clue on how it all works, if I get stuck with the black guys, swedes and a bunch of other randoms, well so what I guess haha, You answered my question honestly.
And sure, I could definitely get an exemption, or join the army here. But the Army here is a solid commitment, you're going to be in there for a long time once you sign up, you probably will get sent somewhere you don't necessarily want to live, getting a degree through the army isn't quite as simple as it sounds, obviously you need to prove you're worthwhile getting paid to go through uni, then you will be signed on for a long time after you finish your degree, and there's a good chance you might not even get the degree you want because they're not gonna pay for something they don't need, and as far as I know the army doesn't have an investment banking sector.

I want to go to Finland and do my service because my other family members have finished it, it's still somewhat a rite of passage for people in my family, and none of my uncle's and such have regretted doing it, I have a cousin who regrets not doing it. Why wouldn't you want to live overseas for a year, paid for? I have friends moving overseas all the time and having to fork out for everything. Plus I will get the language back, and reconnect with my grandmother if she doesn't drop dead before I get back, and I guess I will be able to relate to my family a lot more.

So you could say I am doing it for the experience, getting out of my comfort zone and doing something totally different before I come and settle down. And before I come back here permanently, I'll do some travelling with all the money I've saved up.

FinnGuyHelsinki
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Re: Moving from Australia for army service.

Post by FinnGuyHelsinki » Wed Oct 14, 2015 7:53 am

I agree with tummansininen, travel first to see what's it like in the country, only then make any further commitments. Even if stating the obvious, the Finnish military service cannot be compared to a professional army, from any given age group you will have all kinds of people from the brightest to the dimmest and the training for the most part is rudimentary. There is variation between different outfits, of course, but as already stated, just being fit is not a guarantee of getting into the paratroopers, combat swimmers and the like. Once you're part of the draft, however, ultimately you will have to serve in wherever you are assigned to.

If you are interested in a military career, surely Australia has plenty to offer, SAS for one.

Finn4life1
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Re: Moving from Australia for army service.

Post by Finn4life1 » Wed Oct 14, 2015 8:43 am

FinnGuyHelsinki wrote:I agree with tummansininen, travel first to see what's it like in the country, only then make any further commitments. Even if stating the obvious, the Finnish military service cannot be compared to a professional army, from any given age group you will have all kinds of people from the brightest to the dimmest and the training for the most part is rudimentary. There is variation between different outfits, of course, but as already stated, just being fit is not a guarantee of getting into the paratroopers, combat swimmers and the like. Once you're part of the draft, however, ultimately you will have to serve in wherever you are assigned to.

If you are interested in a military career, surely Australia has plenty to offer, SAS for one.
I don't really care very much where I end up in terms of roles. I don't want a military career, otherwise I would join here, I just want to go do something stupid, move to another country for a year, see how it goes haha, consider it an adventure.

Rosamunda
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Re: Moving from Australia for army service.

Post by Rosamunda » Wed Oct 14, 2015 9:21 am

Patchy Finnish does not mean that you will de facto get sent to Santahamina . My kids have patchy Finnish but none went to Santahamina. The youngest is about to join the engineers in the Peacekeepers at Sakyla. One did the military police in Upiniemi and the eldest was in Kouvola . They both got stripes and came out with brilliant reports. But they knew what they wanted to do, where they wanted to go and prepared for it. It will definitely help get your Finnish back on track. Mine didn't get much time off and I'm not sure how the train passes work for foreigners.but going in with a positive mindset definitely makes it bearable. Being fit and leadership skills get you noticed.

Upphew
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Re: Moving from Australia for army service.

Post by Upphew » Wed Oct 14, 2015 11:38 am

FinnGuyHelsinki wrote:Even if stating the obvious, the Finnish military service cannot be compared to a professional army, from any given age group you will have all kinds of people from the brightest to the dimmest and the training for the most part is rudimentary.
And that is the best part of it, imho. It is quite eye opening to be forced out of your own circles and see how diverse Finns really are.
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onkko
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Re: Moving from Australia for army service.

Post by onkko » Wed Oct 14, 2015 2:21 pm

Upphew wrote:
FinnGuyHelsinki wrote:Even if stating the obvious, the Finnish military service cannot be compared to a professional army, from any given age group you will have all kinds of people from the brightest to the dimmest and the training for the most part is rudimentary.
And that is the best part of it, imho. It is quite eye opening to be forced out of your own circles and see how diverse Finns really are.
That, eveyone is idiot in way or another. I may have more skills needed in woods but in city?
Its all about co-operating to make this best possible :)

Like upphew is good in cities and im good in woods but together were idiots who try to survive and key to survive is co-operation. Amd in end @#$% you all to make us to do this,
Caesare weold Graecum, ond Caelic Finnum

Finn4life1
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Joined: Tue Oct 13, 2015 2:27 pm

Re: Moving from Australia for army service.

Post by Finn4life1 » Tue Jun 07, 2016 11:10 am

Well 9 months later and I have some news.
I have my Finnish Passport, Australian Passport, tickets to Finland, my letter from the army confirming service in July, I had it sent to my mother's house, she read it, I forget what it said exactly concerning where I am being sent, I am not currently living there, however I will soon find out when I go to inspect the papers myself.

I will be leaving on the 21st of June to qualify for compensation and paid for my father to join me as he hasn't been to his homeland for 10 years since my grandmother (His mother died). So together we shall go, travel the country for the days prior to service visiting relatives, friends and having fun, I have never travelled with my dad and he is extremely excited so It will be a good time for the both of us and it makes me happy I could bring him along.

So despite the naysayers I am going, and I will let you know how I found my experience.
Wish me the best of luck please! Toivotan Onnea! Kiitos Paljon, Mina Arvostaa Apua!

adam7
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Re: Moving from Australia for army service.

Post by adam7 » Tue Jun 07, 2016 4:59 pm

Finn4life1 wrote:Well 9 months later and I have some news.
Great news!

Forget the negative comments here. You will be in for an experience for life.

Please note that get in touch with the social curator at the garrison a.s.a.p. You probably will be contacted by the person, especially if you are several who come from abroad to service.

The person will help you pointing how to open a bank account, needed for the small pay you will receive, and other practicla matters which may take some time to figure out on your own.. You might even be eligibile for compensation from Kansaneläkelaitos (National Pension Fund) for apartment rent. I know a couple of guys from Sweden who served in Finland, and the got a free studio apartment paid for by the fund. Without an apartment you hang out at the barracks or an apartment at the garrison when you have free weekends, which apartment may not always be available., unless you are invited home to some friend.

And if you want to improve your Finnish, insist that the other ppl speak Finnish to you. They'll be eager to improve their English, so you might to have insist ;-)

Just to be curious, where will you serve? You don't need to answer if you don't want to.

Rosamunda
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Re: Moving from Australia for army service.

Post by Rosamunda » Tue Jun 07, 2016 11:25 pm

Yes, do let us know where you are going. My youngest is currently doing his service in Sakyla (near Pori) in western Finland. Just passed his C-licence (driving) so is happy. Also, the weather has been pretty good lately, after quite a damp winter.

Oho
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Re: Moving from Australia for army service.

Post by Oho » Thu Jun 09, 2016 9:33 am

Rosamunda wrote:My youngest is currently doing his service in Sakyla (near Pori) in western Finland. Just passed his C-licence (driving) so is happy.
Its one of the few and for most pretty much the only worth while thing you can do in the army....

Rosamunda
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Re: Moving from Australia for army service.

Post by Rosamunda » Thu Jun 09, 2016 7:59 pm

Now he starts the E licence...
Quite useful too.

Finn4life1
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Joined: Tue Oct 13, 2015 2:27 pm

Re: Moving from Australia for army service.

Post by Finn4life1 » Sun Jul 03, 2016 5:46 pm

I Decided actually to move my service, I will begin on January 2nd next year, so I can have more time to learn the language, I'm in Finland now and plan to stay here until December, fly home and return again with the army paying my flight back.
I'll be going to Verkarajarvi!
My uncle offered me some work as a labourer up north so hopefully that will keep me going until the end of the year.
Last edited by Finn4life1 on Fri Oct 02, 2020 12:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.


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