KOUVOLA, Finland - A platoon of Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers assigned to the 237th Engineer Company, 276th Engineer Battalion, 329th Regional Support Group, participated in cold-weather training with the Finnish Defense Force’s Karelia Brigade, marking a milestone in Virginia’s growing defense relationship with Finland.
The exercise, held from Feb. 15 to March 1 in southern Finland, the first such training since Virginia and Finland formalized their partnership through the Department of Defense National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program last May. The exercise was part of Arctic Forge 25, a biennial U.S. Army Europe and Africa-led multinational exercise with Finland, Norway and Canada to strengthen the U.S. Army’s ability to operate in extreme Arctic conditions and reinforce allied cooperation, integration and security in the Arctic region.
The Karelia Brigade and its Kymi Engineer Battalion hosted Virginia’s 237th Engineer Company in southern Finland. The Kymi Engineer Battalion, within the Karelia Brigade (which also includes mechanized infantry, artillery, air defense, signal and logistics), is a national center of excellence for combat engineer training for the Finnish Army. Its specialties include explosive ordnance disposal and counter mobility tactics such as deploying anti-tank mines and ditches, which can be strategically employed to enable or counter the flow of military forces and sustainment.
“I wanted our troops to be able to have direct cooperation with the Finnish Soldiers, but also to understand the complexities that this environment presents in a combat situation,” said Master Sgt. Brett Albertson, operations noncommissioned officer in charge for the 276th Engineer Battalion.
The training focused on honing Soldier and combat engineer skills in the cold while fostering military and cultural exchange to strengthen interoperability. It blended tactical combat engineering, winter survival and soldiering with hands-on exercises in RK-95 weapons handling, anti-tank mine placement and clearing, wire obstacle construction, road clearing demolitions and multi-day field training exercises.
“I thought it was a fantastic and unique opportunity,” said Sgt. 1st Class Anthony Teta, platoon sergeant with the 237th. “It was really great to see what we could learn from the Finns and what they could learn from us, especially when it came to being fast, ugly and robust.”
A recurring theme of the exercise, the motto ”Fast, Ugly, and Robust” also serves as a concise ideal for the work of combat engineers.
Over the two weeks, Finnish and Virginian service members exchanged combat engineer techniques and procedures, demonstrated equipment, and discussed overall approaches to military education, training, decision making, operations and culture. The mutual understanding forged in the exchange strengthens both forces and deepens their ability to operate as a team.
Capt. Pauli Viljakainen, the Karelia Brigade Headquarters lead for the planning and coordination of international exercises, emphasized the importance of building relationships.
“When junior leaders now become senior leaders later, and they know each other already, there is already a shared understanding and things can be agreed upon more easily,” he said.
During the exercise, Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, Maj. Gen. James W. Ring, the adjutant general of Virginia, and Lt. Gen. Pasi Välimäki, commander of the Finnish Army, visited the Karelia Brigade and 237th Engineer Company.
Finland has a deep commitment to national defense. A recent study by the Finnish Ministry of Defense found that 83% of Finns would be willing to participate in defense duties if Finland were attacked. That sense of participation is reflected in Finland’s distinctive military structure, its whole-of-society approach to security and a shared emphasis on internal strength and resilience.