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Handover ceremony of new Commander of the Finnish Defence Forces

Defence Forces
Publication date 30.7.2019 15.47
Press release

The handover ceremony of the Commander of the Finnish Defence Forces will take place in Santahamina, Helsinki, on Wednesday 31 July. The new Commander of the Finnish Defence Forces, Lieutenant General Timo Kivinen, will assume his new task on 1 August 2019. His promotion to general will also take effect on 1 August.

The handover ceremony of the Commander of the Finnish Defence Forces will begin according to tradition at Hietaniemi Cemetery where the commanders will lay wreaths on the Cross of Heroes and on the grave of Marshal Mannerheim.

The day’s programme also includes the unveiling of General Lindberg’s portrait as he goes into the Reserve and the handing over of the flag of the Commander of the Finnish Defence Forces.

The actual change of command ceremony will take place in Santahamina in the afternoon. The units in the review of troops will be from the Defence Command, the Army, the Navy, the Air Force and the National Defence University. The Air Force will honour the change in command with a flypast. The units in the review of troops will be commanded by the new Chief of Staff of the Defence Command, Lieutenant General Eero Pyötsiä.

Field Bishop Pekka Särkiö will hold the field devotional. Music at the ceremony will be performed by the ceremonial band of Defence Forces’, the Guards Band.

The general public are welcome to watch the ceremony at Hietaniemi Cemetery on 31 July at 08:30 but can also do so on the Defence Forces’ social media channels using the hashtags #puolustusvoimat #yhdessävahva.

facebook.com/puolustus
twitter.com/puolustusvoimat
instagram.com/puolustusvoimat.fi

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