The refresher training order arrived, what happens next?

The paper through the mail slot is either an order or an invitation, and the difference decides everything that follows. An order is attended, or a reservist applies for release from their own regional office. An invitation can be ignored.

Order or invitation

Defence Forces material splits into two categories. An order is binding: it is either attended, or release is applied for. An invitation is consent based, and it can go unanswered without any formal process. This is how the Defence Forces' own guidance for reservists describes it. Both get called the same thing in everyday speech, but the paper itself states which one it is. The same paper also names the unit and task involved, which helps explain why this particular notice arrived.

The three month rule

An order is normally sent at least three months before the exercise begins, under section 32, subsection 2 of the Military Service Act. Details on the notice period and the whole exercise system are collected on Intti.fi's refresher training page. If an order arrives with less warning than that, and shorter notice was not agreed to in advance, there is no obligation as such. Contacting the regional office clarifies the situation.

What the exercise involves, and how often

Content varies by task: classroom instruction, combat training, and basic or combat shooting. The purpose is to maintain the readiness of wartime units and a reservist's own skills, not to retrain from scratch. A career maximum applies across a reservist's service life, and it varies by role: rank and file up to 80 days, those trained for demanding tasks up to 150, and officers and NCOs up to 200. The same description of the exercise system is on the Intti.fi page linked above. Consent based, invitation only exercises sit alongside this order based core system as an addition, and they do not draw on the same day count in the same way.

First steps

Notifying the employer, or employment services if unemployed, is worth doing as soon as the order arrives, not the week before departure. Refresher training is an accepted reason to be absent from work, and employment or public office cannot be terminated because of it. The steps are collected in Intti.fi's guide for someone who has received an order, and the employment protection detail is on the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment's page. Part B of the order is returned through the OmaIntti service or directly to the regional office, and it works as a receipt for the organiser of the exercise. Only a release decision from the regional office releases someone from participation, not their own read of the situation and not an informal note to a manager.

Money and everyday life during the exercise

How pay and the daily allowance relate to each other depends on the collective agreement, so it is worth checking with an employer or shop steward before the exercise, not during it. Some agreements pay the difference to normal salary, some do not, and the gap only shows up on the payslip if it was not checked in advance. Refresher training does not interrupt entitlement to unemployment benefit. If money is tight during or after the exercise, income support can be applied for from the municipality, and military assistance from Kela, for example toward housing costs or student loan interest. Each is its own application, not something that arrives automatically with the order.

If the timing does not work

Release or postponement is applied for in writing from the regional office that issued the order, in practice through OmaIntti. Grounds can include health, significant hardship to an employer, personal circumstances, studies, or permanent residence abroad. Applications usually need a supporting document depending on the grounds: a medical certificate, an employer's statement, or a certificate from an educational institution. A phone call or a verbal notice does not replace a written application. It is worth filing as soon as the obstacle is known, not the week before reporting, since the regional office processes applications in queue order, not by urgency.

Can someone leave the reserve entirely

Yes. A reservist can resign from the reserve at any time, including after receiving an order or during the exercise itself, according to the Defence Forces' own guidance. The distinction from unauthorised absence matters here. An order is not left unanswered without a release decision or a formal resignation from the reserve, since unauthorised absence is punishable under chapter 45, section 9 of the Criminal Code. Resigning from the reserve is a different matter from release from a single exercise, and it carries its own, more permanent consequences for reservist status, so the decision is worth making deliberately rather than over one badly timed order.

• An order is binding, an invitation is not.
• Notice period is at least three months, shorter only with prior consent.
• Part B of the order is returned through OmaIntti or to the regional office.
• Release is applied for in writing, not by phone call.
• A reservist can resign from the reserve at any time, including after receiving an order.

Gear is a small part of preparing for refresher training compared with these decisions, but it is worth sorting out early: Refresher training packing list 2026. The same clothes that work for everyday off duty time also work for the downtime inside the exercise: Off duty clothing guide for soldiers and reservists.

The full hoodie range: Hoodies collection.

Frequently asked questions

Is a refresher training invitation the same thing as an order?

Not always. An order is binding, an invitation is voluntary. The paper itself states which one it is, and that decides whether release needs to be applied for or whether no response is enough.

How soon before the exercise does the order have to arrive?

Normally at least three months in advance. Shorter notice requires consent given in advance.

Can refresher training be declined?

Release from an order can be applied for from the regional office. A reservist can also resign from the reserve entirely at any time, including after receiving an order.

Can an employer refuse to let someone go to refresher training?

No. Refresher training is an accepted reason to be absent from work, and employment or public office cannot be terminated because of it.

What happens if someone does not attend and has not applied for release?

Unauthorised absence is punishable. A release decision or a formal resignation from the reserve settles the situation officially, a personal judgement call does not.