Hamina to host Nat´l Parade on Independence Day

The Finnish Defence Forces will hold the national parade at Hamina marking the Independence Day on December 6, said an official press release on Wednesday.

The theme of the parade is Security will be done together.

The parade will be participated by troops from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and National Defence University, as well as from the Finnish Border Guard and veterans’ and national defence organisations altogether up to c. 1,200 personnel. The event will include equipment of the Police, Rescue Department and Customs.

The review of troops will start on Hamina sports field at 12:00 with the parade troops aligning to position from 11:30 onwards. It is worthwhile to be at the review of troops site before troop deployment to follow the fly-past of an NH90 transport helicopter of the Utti Jaeger Regiment at 11:20.

The pass in review conducted on Kadettikoulunkatu starting at 13:15 will include c. 900 dismounted personnel as well as c. 50 vehicles of the Finnish Defence Forces, Police and Customs in the motorised detachments.

The pass in review will close with the heritage cavalry equestrians of the Dragoon Guild. The fly-pasts of the pass in review will feature Finnish Army NH90 transport helicopters and Hughes MD500 light helicopters as well as Air Force F/A-18 Hornet multirole fighters and Hawk jet trainers. The fly-pasts will cause noise over the area of Hamina.

The review podium site for the pass in review will be located on Kadettikoulunkatu by the Reserve Officer School’s Main Building. The dismounted marching detachments’ march will start to line at the crossing of Kadettikoulunkatu and Erottajankatu, whereas the motorised detachments’ will be to line at the crossing of Annankatu and Koulukatu. The pass in review will advance from Kadettikoulunkatu to Maariankatu.

The review of troops will be reviewed and the pass in review received by the Finnish Defence Forces’ Deputy Chief of Staff Armaments and Logistics, Lieutenant General Timo Kakkola accompanied in the pass in review by Hamina Town Council Chair Ms Titta Erkkilä.

The parades’ guests of honour will be veterans and lottas of our wars. The parade troops will be commanded by the Finnish Army Chief of Operations, Brigadier General Tero Ylitalo. The field devotional will be held in the review of troops by the Finnish Defence Forces’ Logistic Command’s Senior Chaplain Kari Mannermaa. The parade arrangements will remain the responsibility of the Army Academy, and the music of the Dragoon Band.

The parade will be presented to the public by journalist, Captain in the reserve Riku Rantala.

On the Independence Day, a joint equipment and activity field by the Finnish Defence Forces and other agencies will be available for familiarisation at the square of the Finnish Flag.

Defence Forces canceled the Independence Day´s Parade in the last two years against the backdrop of coronavirus outbreak.