A group of Finnish soldiers talk amongst one another near a Finnish Sisu NA-110 tracked vehicle on May 27, 2026 at Vuosanka Training Area, Finland. From April 27 to May 31, 2026 U.S. and Allied forces will exercise NATO’s Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative, demonstrating NATO’s ability to fight and win on the modern battlefield. Nearly 15,000 troops from eleven nations will train across the High North, Baltic region, and Poland, executing rapid maneuvers, air defense, counter-drone operations, and cyber defense to validate NATO’s regional defense plans in real time. This series of linked exercises, including Saber Strike, Immediate Response, and Swift Response, turns investment into capability. Soldiers integrate unmanned systems, AI-enabled command and control, and live data networks to move faster, decide faster, and fight more effectively across all domains. Sword 26 demonstrates how U.S. Army Europe and Africa drives transformation at scale while strengthening deterrence. Together with our Allies, we are building a unified, lethal force ready to defend NATO territory and respond to any threat. (U.S. Army Reserve photo by 1st Sgt. Austin Berner)

Yle reports on a case of a single conscript, who completed his military service in summer 2025, and has already received two refresher-training call-ups in less than a year. The exercises forced him to reorganize both his studies and work. The article points out that the frequent call-ups of reservists can cause economic and educational harm.

Finnish public broadcaster writes that:

“Salonen has had to reorganize his studies and work because of refresher training. Exam and course schedules had to be sorted out with certain teachers. The result was eventually a backlog of exams”

They also point out the burden it places on the employers:

“Suomen Yrittäjät is an interest group representing especially small and medium-sized enterprises. According to Rytkönen-Sandberg, it occasionally receives questions about whether an employer, for example, is obliged to pay wages for the period when an employee leaves for refresher training. The timing of refresher exercises can also cause headaches for companies.

“In the workplace, both the employer and the employee have together concluded that the situation may be such that the employee cannot necessarily leave for refresher training because their presence is critical for the company’s operations,” Rytkönen-Sandberg says, explaining the kinds of questions the organization receives.”

Read the entire piece in Yle.