Maanpuolustusopisto
Encyclopedia
Maanpuolustusopisto was the military junior college
Military Junior College
In the United States, a Military Junior College is a military-style junior college that allows cadets to become commissioned officers in the U.S. Army reserve in two years, instead of the usual four, through the Early Commissioning Program. The students must still go on to complete a bachelor's...

 of the Finnish Defence Forces
Finnish Defence Forces
The Finnish Defence Forces are responsible for the defence of Finland. It is a cadre army of 15,000, of which 8,900 are professional soldiers , extended with conscripts and reservists such that the standard readiness strength is 34,700 people in uniform...

, located in Lappeenranta
Lappeenranta
Lappeenranta is a city and municipality that resides on the shore of the lake Saimaa in South-Eastern Finland, about from the Russian border. It belongs to the region of South Karelia. With approximately inhabitants Lappeenranta is the largest city in Finland...

. The school had a separate program for training officers "vocationally" such that they would graduate as Second Lieutenants (vänrikki
Vänrikki
Vänrikki is a Finnish military rank. In Finland, the rank vänrikki is used in active service by reserve officers who extend their term by 6 to 12 months and serve as sopimussotilas. In addition, it is the lowest reserve officer rank...

), without going to the national military academy, Cadet School
Finnish National Defence University
The Finnish National Defence University is the Finnish Defence Forces' university located in Helsinki. The university trains officers for the Defence Forces and the Finnish Border Guard...

.

The origin of the school was in non-commissioned officers school (Kanta-aliupseerikoulu). In 1974, however, professional NCOs (kanta-aliupseeris) were promoted to officers called toimiupseeri (toimi refers to a specialist post) and the school became Päällystöopisto "Command School". Graduates would be promoted to vääpeli
Vääpeli
- Yksikön vääpeli :Vääpeli may also refer to a position of yksikön vääpeli , a position comparable to First Sergeant of US...

(cf. Staff Sergeant), a NCO rank. In 1993, accordance with the general restructuring of the educational system, where similar postsecondary-level schools were recategorized as tertiary, the school was also reinvented as Maanpuolustusopisto. Training would take 2.5 years and graduates were be promoted directly to vänrikki, an officer rank.

The rank of the students was opistoupseerioppilas, which was comparable to ylikersantti, and they would be promoted to vänrikki on graduation. They 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, company vice-commander) and in later years, to kapteeni (Captain, company commander). Their practical tasks would be mainly training conscripts
Conscription in Finland
Conscription in Finland is part of a wider, general "national defense duty" defined in the 127§ of the Constitution of Finland.Conscription can take the form of military or of civilian service. Currently, c.66% of males reaching military age do their military service, while a growing number of ...

.

It was decommissioned in 2001, and replaced by Maasotakoulu ("Land Warfare School"), which provides the undergraduate training for all cadets, who study in Lappeenranta for a year and then go to Finnish National Defence University
Finnish National Defence University
The Finnish National Defence University is the Finnish Defence Forces' university located in Helsinki. The university trains officers for the Defence Forces and the Finnish Border Guard...

 in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...

. The last cohorts from the school were quickly promoted to luutnantti, and existing graduates may complete their degree by studying while working.
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