Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Troutville-based 229th Chemical Company, 329th Regional Support Group, and Fort Pickett-based 34th Civil Support Team conducted a chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear exchange with members of the Finnish Defense Forces during Exercise Karelian Stronghold Sept. 1 - 5, 2025, near Helsinki, Finland.
The exercise was conducted in support of the Department of Defense’s State Partnership Program, in which Virginia and Finland have been formal partners since 2024.
During the training, the Soldiers demonstrated the U.S. Army’s decontamination and reconnaissance procedures while Finnish troops showcased their own protective equipment, detection systems and response techniques in simulated CBRN scenarios.
To demonstrate their CBRN detection capabilities, the VNG team brought substance detection and identification equipment and their protective gear with them to Finland. Once on the ground, the Soldiers immediately integrated with Finnish CBRN units, a new experience for most of the Virginia Guardsmen.
Their mission was to share how the VNG conducts decontamination operations and protective posture drills, while learning how the Finnish soldiers identify and mitigate CBRN hazards, with both sides quickly discovering the similarities and differences in their approaches to CBRN response.
The Virginia Soldiers also had the opportunity to operate alongside Finnish troops in full protective gear, conducting joint reconnaissance patrols and simulated decontamination lines. They were also able to train with some of the Finnish equipment and became proficient in its use to prepare for the Karelian Stronghold exercise.
“The interaction with the Finnish soldiers has been outstanding,” said the 229th’s Sgt. William Justice. “They walked us through their detection equipment and protective drills, and even gave us the opportunity to train with some of their CBRN monitoring systems.”
The Soldiers said the cultural and language differences proved challenging but rewarding. For most, the cultural exchange was just as impactful as the military training.
“This is my first time outside the United States,” said Spc. Logan Wright, also assigned to the 229th Chemical Company. “The language barrier was tough at first, but working together on real-world scenarios made it easier. We relied on hand signals, demonstrations and eventually a lot of laughs to get through the training. We quickly realized the Finns do CBRN just as we do in the States.”
Wright said the experience left a lasting impression.
“This trip has been life-changing. The highlights were conducting live CBRN drills, learning to operate their protective gear, and building friendships with our Finnish counterparts. At the end of the week, we got the chance to see the capital of Finland, Helsinki, which made the experience even better.”
Ultimately, the Soldiers were grateful for the opportunity to train in Finland.
“Being part of Exercise Karelian Stronghold showed me that, despite coming from different parts of the world, our goals and methods as Soldiers are very similar,” said Justice. “Joint training like this doesn’t come around often, and I’m honored we were able to represent the Virginia National Guard while building interoperability with our Finnish partners.”
The SPP agreement between the VNG and Finnish Defense Forces builds on several decades of friendship and partnership between the two organizations. Finnish troops served alongside the Fort Belvoir-based 29th Infantry Division during the Stabilization 10 rotation in Bosnia-Herzegovina in 2001-2002, and VNG personnel have trained side-by-side with their Finnish counterparts on numerous occasions over the years.