Finnish Defence Forces will celebrate the Independence Day by a National Parade in Hamina
The Finnish Defence Forces will celebrate the 105th Independence Day of Finland by a national parade on 6 December in Hamina. The theme of the parade is Security will be done together. The review of troops will be arranged on Hamina sports field and the pass in review on Kadettikoulunkatu. The Finnish Defence Forces’ and other agencies’ equipment will be on display for familiarisation at the square of the Finnish Flag. The events will be free of charge.
The parade will be participated by troops from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and National Defence University, as well as from the Finnish Border Guard and veterans’ and national defence organisations altogether up to c. 1,200 personnel. The event will include equipment of the Police, Rescue Department and Customs.
The review of troops will start on Hamina sports field at 12:00 with the parade troops aligning to position from 11:30 onwards. It is worthwhile to be at the review of troops site before troop deployment to follow the fly-past of an NH90 transport helicopter of the Utti Jaeger Regiment at 11:20.
The pass in review conducted on Kadettikoulunkatu starting at 13:15 will include c. 900 dismounted personnel as well as c. 50 vehicles of the Finnish Defence Forces, Police and Customs in the motorised detachments. The pass in review will close with the heritage cavalry equestrians of the Dragoon Guild. The fly-pasts of the pass in review will feature Finnish Army NH90 transport helicopters and Hughes MD500 light helicopters as well as Air Force F/A-18 Hornet multirole fighters and Hawk jet trainers. The fly-pasts will cause noise over the area of Hamina.
The review podium site for the pass in review will be located on Kadettikoulunkatu by the Reserve Officer School’s Main Building. The dismounted marching detachments’ march will start to line at the crossing of Kadettikoulunkatu and Erottajankatu, whereas the motorised detachments’ will be to line at the crossing of Annankatu and Koulukatu. The pass in review will advance from Kadettikoulunkatu to Maariankatu.
The review of troops will be reviewed and the pass in review received by the Finnish Defence Forces’ Deputy Chief of Staff Armaments and Logistics, Lieutenant General Timo Kakkola accompanied in the pass in review by Hamina Town Council Chair Ms Titta Erkkilä. The parades’ guests of honour will be veterans and lottas of our wars. The parade troops will be commanded by the Finnish Army Chief of Operations, Brigadier General Tero Ylitalo. The field devotional will be held in the review of troops by the Finnish Defence Forces’ Logistic Command’s Senior Chaplain Kari Mannermaa. The parade arrangements will remain the responsibility of the Army Academy, and the music of the Dragoon Band. The parade will be presented to the public by journalist, Captain in the reserve Riku Rantala.
On the Independence Day, a joint equipment and activity field by the Finnish Defence Forces and other agencies will be available for familiarisation at the square of the Finnish Flag.
Programme for the day
| At | |
| 8.00 | Flag raising ceremony by the Reserve Officer School Main Building |
| 9.00 | Wreath laying ceremony at the park of Johanneksen kirkko |
| 9–16 | Finnish Defence Forces’ and other agencies’ equipment and activity field at the Square of the Finnish Flag |
| 10.00 | Lutheran service at Marian kirkko |
| 11.20 |
Fly-past of an NH90 transport helicopter over Hamina sports field |
| 11.30 onwards | alignment of parade troops to position for the review of troops on Hamina sports field |
| 12.00 | Review of troops on Hamina sports field |
| 13.15 | Pass in review on Kadettikoulunkatu |
Parade will affect overall traffic in Hamina
The parade will affect traffic control arrangements in the area of Hamina. The parade preparations will be discernible from 4 December onwards. On Monday 5 December, parade troops will be drilling in the areas of sports field, Rantakatu, Vepanpolku and Viipurinkatu. The parade preparations and equipment transfers will cause temporary closing of roads on 5.12. and 6.12.
On the Independence Day, the public is asked to arrive by foot on site well in advance.
More specific information on the traffic arrangements will be available from week 47 onwards.
Follow the parade
The event will be free of charge, and we warmly welcome the public to follow the day’s events. The public is asked to follow the instructions of the regional health authority concerning public events.
The public is reminded that the parade area is a no flight-zone, and drone activity is strictly forbidden for sustained event safety with the exception of the statutory authority functions.
The parade may also be followed online on the Finnish Defence Forces’ channels:
puolustusvoimat.fi/the-finnish-independence-day
facebook.com/puolustus
twitter.com/puolustusvoimat
instagram.com/puolustusvoimat.fi
#FDF #independenceday #parade
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