Passport Question

[Rip]

Even so, my situation would be rather complicated due to a disability from birth.

Actually, if it is significant enough it would make things simpler (native born citizens would be exempt from service on that ground).

[onkko]

Believe me...I am not trying to be a freeloader. I am well aware of the sacrifices citizens make for their country, including those my own family made. Everybody has differing views on the military...it doesnt make me less patriotic. Even so, my situation would be rather complicated due to a disability from birth.

If you are really disabled then finnish military wont accept or want you so problem solved, that if thats really disability and you have to prove it.
They wont force anyone who cant (no, you cant decide it) go thru military but give them "freed from service in peace time" or "no, we dont want you ever" stamp.

Everybody has differing views on the military...it doesnt make me less patriotic.

Well.. bollocks (or is this proper word what english use when they mean "you must be kidding me, you say that if we just let others invade us without credible army to oppose is somehow patriotic").

[Pursuivant]

I thought only Americans were born without a functioning brain? Must be the water.

So what do you think happens to males with disabilities in Finland, eh?

[vagrant]

They make brilliant career carrier in army or police, besides goverment

[Mumintroll]

As much as I love the country I was born in, I am not too keen on military service! haha

So you want benefits what have been bought by blood and hard work withouth giving least you can?
"haha"... that irritates me.. Military service is something you shouldnt take lightly, after 1000 years under foreign power we managed to get our own power to get our independence and that came from every man and woman standing unite against oppressor and by great cost.
Every man has obligation, not for himself but for nation and others, to get training for preventing bad times to ever come again. If you dont want to be part of that defence then you dont deserve finnish passport.

When will this ludicrous nationalistic pseudo-history end? Most of what we now know as Finland was an integral part of the Kingdom of Sweden, it wasn't some kind of overseas colony under occupation. Åbo was as much Swedish territory as Göteborg, indeed it was more at the state's core than places on the Swedish west coast. It was much easier and faster to travel by sea between Stockholm and Åbo than the tiresome journeys overload. There were Finns present at the court in Stockholm, indeed on two occasions people from Finland held the highest civilian office of state in the realm. The lands now known as Finland were incorporated into the Swedish state in the same manner as, for example, Småland. Nobody says Småland was occupied or that Svealand went to war with it.

Now, that is not to say that independence in 1917 and especially its maintenance in the twentieth century was not a hard task for which many gave their lives, of which we should be truly thankful, but that is still no excuse to make up false history.

[Kutittaa]

What's with all the pansies that are scared of military service? Do you all still live at home with your parents..?

Gosh. I mean seriously.. it's 6 months. You would have definitely spent longer doing something in your life that you have felt less perturbed over.

I'm surprised in this day and age that people are getting 'softer' whilst sick and disgusting people are getting well.. more sick and disgusting. Somewhere along the line, life has to even itself out. What happened to the good old days when people actually LIED about their age to get to fight for the country they loved so much?

What an undeserving useless sack of... people are becoming.

/thread

[Kutittaa]

Quite the contrary actually. In 2009 I joined, went through my initial tests and such. Health, well-being, fitness, hearing, eyesight and finally aptitude.

I was accepted by a Navy Legionnaire, despite me wanting to join the 'Army'. I found it quite odd that someone from an entirely different division could approve your application.

When recruitment time came around to my 'everlasting' shame, I chickened out, took a year off and went to Finland. Lets keep in mind that I had just turned 20, had just fallen in love with the woman whom I am married to and service to the Army was the last thing on my mind.

6 months of service when and if I get citizenship in the future to me, doesn't seem like a big deal. Joining the Army was something that I had wanted to do since I was a kid. Though my parents always said I should be joining the Navy because my great-grandfather was a Commodore in the Navy.

Now I'm almost 3 years older and that seems like both yesterday and a million years ago. If I wasn't in the situation I am in now, and given another chance I'd go straight back. Re-do my health and fitness tests and such and walk straight back in. Applications are kept open for 4 years. Some tests must be taken again though of course.

The Army isn't for everyone, I can't comment like I know what I am talking about when it comes to 'First-hand Service'. Though I can definitely comment on what I had to learn as a prerequisite to get into the Army. Which mind you, was months and months of insane homework, written exams and having to remember the locations of at least 30 Army barracks-es in Australia and what the purposes of those barracks-es are. Not to mention countless other things, including your chosen specialisation before you've even started on it. The more you knew the better, and there were other people there who were older, more mature, and who had failed 4 times in a row. Out of the 24 of us who went to application day in Sydney 2 of us passed. Myself and a 26 year old wanna-be Intelligence Officer.

Personally I do think that every real 'man' should be obliged to do a minimum 6 months service to his country. Especially seeing as the benefits go both ways. It could be a lot worse. They could make you join for life... You never know, you might actually like it.

[onkko]

When will this ludicrous nationalistic pseudo-history end? Most of what we now know as Finland was an integral part of the Kingdom of Sweden, it wasn't some kind of overseas colony under occupation. Åbo was as much Swedish territory as Göteborg, indeed it was more at the state's core than places on the Swedish west coast. It was much easier and faster to travel by sea between Stockholm and Åbo than the tiresome journeys overload. There were Finns present at the court in Stockholm, indeed on two occasions people from Finland held the highest civilian office of state in the realm. The lands now known as Finland were incorporated into the Swedish state in the same manner as, for example, Småland. Nobody says Småland was occupied or that Svealand went to war with it.

Now, that is not to say that independence in 1917 and especially its maintenance in the twentieth century was not a hard task for which many gave their lives, of which we should be truly thankful, but that is still no excuse to make up false history.

Pseudo-history? Sure finnish born people were part of sweden IF THEY SPOKE SWEDISH. When i look old church books it seems that my family lived in area called Storby and i can tell that its only place where that name is, it was and still is Isokylä. Probably priest and few other "officials" were able to speak swedish. Were we really part of swedish realm in our terms and in our language? Your usage of Åbo instead of Turku tells all i need to know...