Just four months ago, 19-year-old Gabriel Qawariq was playing video games at home. Now, his life resembles one. Crouched on the forest floor in eastern Finland, holding an assault rifle, the teenager is part of a military drill preparing troops for war.
Qawariq is one of Finland’s annual 20,000 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 has been granted access to a major Finnish military exercise; the final test in the service programme for conscripts like Qawariq.
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“We’re getting the tanks going, learning how to get out of the tank, destroy mines, make a bridge, and then when that’s done, get back to the tank,” the teenager said, wearing a helmet, body armour and camouflage paint.
