Commander of the Finnish Defence Forces awarded French peacekeepers international service medals

The Finnish Crisis Management Force (SKJL) is participating in the UNIFIL operation in Southern Lebanon as part of the UNIFIL’s French-led Force Commander’s Reserve (FCR). The French-Finnish cooperation is close, and the forces participating in the operation spend a lot of time together, also outside of service hours.

To celebrate the cooperation during the past months, Commander of the Finnish Defence forces awarded the outgoing commander of the FCR, Colonel Louis-Guilhem Larchet, and the outgoing Commander of the French pioneer company, Captain Charles Arviset, the Finnish International Service Medals. The Finnish International Service Medal can be considered equal to medals granted for service abroad by the UN, EU, NATO or some other countries, and to mission-specific peacekeeping or crisis management operation medals.

Colonel Larchet has successfully integrated the Finnish and French forces into a coherent whole, making sure that the efforts of everybody serving in the FCR supports those of the Finnish force.  The unit led by Pioneer Company Commander Arviset has supported the operation of the Finnish infantry company in an exemplary manner.  Due to the current security situation and the tasks of the infantry company, the support provided by the engineer company has been paramount for the Finnish force to carry out its operational tasks.