11,900 new conscripts to start service in January

About 11,900 new conscripts, including 400 women will start their service at the units of the Finnish Defence Forces and the Finnish Border Guard on January 6, 2025, said an official press release on Friday.

About 9,550 conscripts will start their service in the Army units, about 1,600 in the Navy, about 500 in the Air Force and approximately 250 in the Border Guard units.

Swedish-speaking conscripts will primarily start their service at Nyland Brigade.

During the autumn, the Finnish Defence Forces have been affected by a number of different diseases causing respiratory infection symptoms, including adenovirus, which, unlike normal adenovirus epidemics, has caused severe symptoms and hospitalization of some conscripts.

The environment in military barracks present their own challenges to the spread of various diseases. Infectious diseases, including adenovirus, are easily spread in the military barrack environment where conscripts stay in shared dormitories and have significant contact with one another both during training and in their leisure time. In addition to adenovirus, mycoplasma, coronavirus, and whooping cough have also been circulating.

The Finnish Defence Forces have prepared for the situation, and the new batch of conscripts will be separated into groups. Basic training will continue as usual, but the groups of conscripts will be kept separate to limit the spread of respiratory infections. The authorities are closely monitoring the infection situation at the garrisons to ensure the service and health safety of the conscripts and personnel.

The conscripts will receive more information and guidance on how to prevent respiratory infections when their service begins at their own units.