Just four months ago, Gabriel Qawariq was playing video games at home. Now the 19-year-old is crouched on a forest floor in eastern Finland, holding an assault rifle as part of a military drill preparing troops for war.
Qawariq is one of Finland’s 20,000 annual conscripts. National service is compulsory for men, who are usually drafted between the ages of 18 and 25, and voluntary for women. Conscripts can choose between military or non-military service, working at sites such as hospitals, schools or museums.
The i Paper was granted access to a major Finnish military exercise, the final test in the service programme for conscripts like Qawariq. The drill is designed to assess readiness and takes place in forested terrain in eastern Finland.
For many young Finns, this marks a sharp transition from civilian life, as the exercise culminates their training and evaluates their ability to respond to potential defence scenarios.
