The Chief of the U.S. National Guard Bureau visited Finland

General Daniel Hokanson, the Chief of the United States National Guard Bureau, visited Finland on 13-14 February. The visit was hosted by the Chief of Defence Command, Lieutenant General Vesa Virtanen.

As the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, General Hokanson is a member of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff. The U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff is the body of the most senior uniformed leaders within the United States Department of Defence that advises the government.

During his visit to Finland, General Hokanson met with the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, Esa Pulkkinen, and the top leadership of the Finnish Defence Forces. The topic of the discussions was, among other things, the possibilities of deepening bilateral defence cooperation.

– I was honored to visit and learn more about the Finnish Defense Forces and your country’s comprehensive security effort; it is a truly remarkable whole of nation approach that reminds me in many ways of the Citizen Soldiers and Airmen of the United States National Guard. Finland and the United States have an enduring friendship and a shared commitment to peace and stability. Our security cooperation efforts have broadened and deepened over the last decade, and I believe they will continue to strengthen as we further our partnership, general Hokanson says.

– Excellent discussions behind. It was a pleasure and an honour to tell about the Finnish conscription system and national defence as part of our society. During our discussions, various options and possibilities emerged for how to deepen bilateral defence cooperation in the future, says the Chief of the Defence Command, Lieutenant General Vesa Virtanen. 

The program included getting acquainted with the Finnish conscription system and the comprehensive security model. General Hokanson got to know the activities of the National Defence Courses and the Security Committee and followed conscript training in the Guard Jaeger Regiment.