Itsenäisen Suomen kanta-aliupseeriston synty, koulutus, rekrytointitausta ja palvelusehdot

Abstract

When the staff group of Finnish non-commissioned officers were formed since 1918, the model was derived from the organization of the regularly non-commissioned officers prevalent during the period of autonomy of Finland in the Russian Empire. Their regular education was started in 1921, and thereafter more schools for various branches of military service were established according to the manifold needs of the army. The courses were from the beginning of the same type as in industrial trade schools. This similarity remained there until the end of the education of the non-commissioned officers in 1973. Basic education was provided by the elementary school. Education was reformed in 1949, and in 1966 when a new educational period of all-round education which contained the essential secondary school subjects was added to it. The introduction of the methods of military psychology since the 1950s made the Non-Commissioned officers' corps more coherent because those who were unsuitable for education to army command were sifted out. It was deemed important in Finland that the hired personnel of the conscription army originated from the same social background than the conscripts. This principle was realized: most of their fathers came from agricultural and forestry professions or from official or clerical middle-classes. The army commanders regarded club activities of professional soldiers controlled by garrison commanders as important already from the very beginning. Besides traditional sports, the hobbies of the clubs comprised of many-sided and outward oriented social activities. By sports club activities and charity work the clubs purported to promote the relations of the defense forces and the wider society. Many of the non-commissioned officers who were Olympic medalists and world champions were models for the youth. Beside the official organization, the club society was an important molder of the mentality of the non-commissioned officers. Before the wars club activities were lively since almost all club members lived in the garrison even in their own regions. The club society of the Non-Commissioned officers soon recovered from the break caused by the wars. The club activities started gradually to die down in the 1960s when the quality of life improved. As the wages increased, the non-commissioned officers could afford to buy own flats and they went to the garrison only to work.