LAPPEENRANTA, Finland –
— Five Virginia National Guard Soldiers participated in a command post training exercise at the Finnish Army Academy June 7-12, 2026, in Lappeenranta, Finland. The exchange was conducted in support of the State Partnership Program, in which Virginia and Finland have been formal partners since 2024.
The Virginia team, consisting of leaders from the Virginia Army National Guard’s recruiting and Retention Battalion and the Fort Pickett-based 183rd Regiment, Regional Training Institute, participated along approximately 150 Finnish Army cadets in the command post exercise, helping strengthen allied readiness and deepen bilateral defense ties.
The Virginia National Guard delegation included Lt. Col. Eric Johnson and Command Sgt. Maj. Jessica Dickenson, the Recruiting and Retention command team, as well as Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Lindsay, Staff Sgt. Jacob Bowman and Staff Sgt. Kyle King.
Throughout the multi-day exercise, the combined forces utilized advanced simulation systems to focus on command post operations, interoperability, command and control and combined arms operations.
“A significant portion of the simulated scenarios involved the tactical integration of unmanned aerial systems and the synchronization of multi-domain operations,” said Johnson.
Serving as observers and trainers, the Virginia National Guard Soldiers actively shared critical best practices with their Finnish counterparts, focusing on tactical execution, combat service support, and secure communications architectures, Johnson said.
“This engagement highlighted the growing maturity of the State Partnership Program between the Virginia National Guard and the Finnish Defense Forces,” said Johnson. “By training together in a simulated, high-threat environment, both nations successfully synchronized core warfighting functions and improved their combined operational capabilities. The collaboration underscores a mutual commitment to regional security, showcasing how shared tactical expertise translates into a highly interoperable, modern alliance.”
The Virginia National Guard established a formal partnership with Finland in May 2024 as part of the U.S. National Guard’s State Partnership Program. The partnership was initiated to combine air operations and interoperability defense including defense against cyber threats, information and intelligence operations, combined land forces capability, military assistance and support for disaster operations, and special operations training.
Read more about the VNG’s partnership with Finland at https://vngpao.info/yckwa597.