Fänrik
Encyclopedia
Professional officer
A minimum of 11 months of basic military training or 6 months as an aspirant followed by a three year programme at an officer school (Försvarshögskolan)Kadett
|-| valign=top |Kadett corresponds to Cadet in English and is a term used in Sweden to denote officer candidates studying in order to become an officer.There are basically two ways to become officer as described below.-Specialist Officers :...
. (See Kadett
Kadett
|-| valign=top |Kadett corresponds to Cadet in English and is a term used in Sweden to denote officer candidates studying in order to become an officer.There are basically two ways to become officer as described below.-Specialist Officers :...
for details)
Conscript officer
Prior 2007 it was possible to obtain the rank through 15 months of compulsory military service training at level 6. Level 6 means that the holder has received basic training to act in platoon leader roles except in the cavalry where Fänrik is a squad leader rank (team = 5-8 men).Conscipt officer
The rank has been mainly a reserve rank. The future conscript officers are selected from the whole pool of conscripts. After a basic training of two months, a portion of the conscripts are selected for NCO training. After 2 months of NCO training, the most suitable are selected for reserve officer training and promoted to officer students. The 3½-month-long reserve officers training usually takes place in the Reserve Officer SchoolReserve Officer School
According to the military, the Finnish defence doctrine relies on the principle of territorial defence which means that the whole of Finland must be defended in all cases. It is claimed that this requires a very large war-time reservist defence force to deter and fight aggression. Career officers...
, and afterwards, the candidates are promoted to officer cadets . They serve the remaining 5½ months of their conscription practicing as platoon commanders as well as training other conscripts. Finally, successful officer cadets are discharged with the rank of vänrikki. In the reserve, reserve officers may be promoted up to majuri (Major), although there have been extraordinarily promotions to everstiluutnantti (Lieutenant Colonel).
If mobilization is effected, officers in the reserve fill most junior officer duties of the war-time Finnish army. Especially, most platoon and company commander positions and junior staff officer duties are filled with reservists.
Professional officer
The National Defence College accepts both reserve officers and reserve NCOs. Those cadets who did not receive reserve officer training during their conscription are usually promoted to the personal rank of vänrikki during their studies. However, upon graduation, professional officers are promoted to luutnantti.During the early 21st century, the National Defence College also had a one-year program to commission professional officers with the rank of vänrikki and a fixed service term of five years. The rank is the lowest commissioned officer rank.
Formerly a school called Maanpuolustusopisto (MpO) had vänrikki as the rank given to new graduates. These officers were known as opistoupseeri (usually translated "Warrant Officer"), and could be promoted up to yliluutnantti
Yliluutnantti
Finnish Defence Forces rank of Yliluutnantti is comparable to Ranks of NATO armies officers as OF-1- History and related ranks:The Army of the Finnish Grand Duchy of the Russian Empire had a rank of alikapteeni, similar in use as Prussian and Russian Stabskapitän...
, senior lieutenant
Senior lieutenant
Senior lieutenant is a military grade between a lieutenant and a captain. Sometimes senior lieutenant is called a first lieutenant....
, (company vice-commander), and later, to kapteeni (company commander). The opisto level ceased to exist in Finland (other schools were redefined as ammattikorkeakoulu
Ammattikorkeakoulu
An ammattikorkeakoulu , abbreviated amk, is a Finnish institution of higher education.- Significance :...
) in the end of 1990's. However, in the military, the MpO was decommissioned. All officers are now trained by the National Defence College. Any existing MpO graduates may obtain further education to upgrade their degree to a university degree.
Extraordinary
Simo HäyhäSimo Häyhä
Simo Häyhä , nicknamed "White Death" by the Red Army, was a Finnish sniper. Using a modified Mosin–Nagant in the Winter War, he has the highest recorded number of confirmed sniper kills - 505 - in any major war....
, the deadliest sniper in history, was extraordinarily promoted to vänrikki, from alikersantti
Alikersantti
- Obtaining the rank :Basic military training 2 months and selected for NCO training followed by 10 months of reserve NCO training. This is the most common conscript leader rank....
(Corporal), personally by Marshal C.G.E. Mannerheim.
Origin
The rank literally means FanaFana
Fana is a borough of the city of Bergen, Norway.-History:Prior to 1972, Fana was an independent municipality which territory also included today's boroughs of Ytrebygda, Fyllingsdalen, and the southernmost part of Årstad.-Geography:...
and indicates the holder of the company flag. The flag was usually maintained by a soldier förare and handed over to the fänrik just before the inception of a battle. His role was to align the company and the flag was an important tool in achieving that. This duty was highly prestigious, and as such, could not be trusted to other than an officer, but required no particularly officer training. The fänrik together with his assistant the förare were responsible for the medical care within the company. The term fänika was used as a battalion
Battalion (Sweden)
A Swedish/Finnish battalion during the mid 17th century up to the mid 18th century was the smallest tactical unit in combat. The 600 man unit was formed, temporarily, at the inception of a battle by joining four foot companies from a foot regiment of eight companies...
sized military unit during the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
and Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
.
Reform 1972
Holder of the rank Fänrik were elevated to LöjtnantLöjtnant
Finnish Defence Forces rank of Luutnantti is comparable to Ranks of NATO armies officers as OF-1- Obtaining the rank in Finland :The Finnish army is bilingual; the rank is known in Swedish as löjtnant and Finnish as luutnantti....
.
Holders of the following ranks were elevated to Fänrik
- FanjunkareFanjunkareThe word 'Fanjunkare' is derived from German 'Fahnenjunker', and denotes a standard-bearer, hence 'Colour Sergeant'. 'Styckjunkare' comes from German 'Stückjunker', and denotes a gentleman of ordnance, hence 'Master Gunner'.-1925:...
(with less than 3 years of service) - SergeantSergeant (Sweden)- Obtaining the rank in Finland :In Finnish army after two months basic training some of conscripts are selected for a two-stage NCO -course with a rank of NCO -student , of which after stage 1 few are sent to Reserve Officer School and the rest continue in NCO -course stage 2 , after which they...
(with less than 3 years of service)
Reform 1983
The meaning of the term officer broadened to include all professional and reserve military personnel. Fänrik was subsequently set to be the lowest rank for professional and reserve military personnel. To be employed as an officer in the Armed Forces, the candidate was required to complete two years of officers school (OHS) and successfully graduate as Fänrik.Reform 2008 two career path system
The objective of the reform is to produce officers who are specialized at commanding troops at platoon, company and higher level as well as providing officers academic status.See officer training
Kadett
|-| valign=top |Kadett corresponds to Cadet in English and is a term used in Sweden to denote officer candidates studying in order to become an officer.There are basically two ways to become officer as described below.-Specialist Officers :...
how to obtain the rank through the new system.
See also
- Finnish military ranksFinnish military ranksFinnish military ranks form a system that incorporates features from Swedish, German, and Russian armed forces. In addition, the system has some typically Finnish characteristics that are mostly due to the personnel structure of the Finnish Defence Forces. The ranks have official names in Finnish...
- Military ranks of the Swedish armed forces
- Swedish Armed ForcesSwedish Armed ForcesThe Swedish Armed Forces is a Swedish Government Agency responsible for the operation of the armed forces of the Realm. The primary task of the agency is to train, organize and to deploy military forces, domestically and abroad, while maintaining the long-term ability to defend the Realm in the...
- Officer Training
- http://www.mhsk.mil.se/attachments/school_system_2006--.pdf