''Eversti'' (Colonel) is an officer's rank in

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

, immediately above ''

Everstiluutnantti ''Everstiluutnantti'' (Lieutenant colonel, Swedish: ''Överstelöjtnant'') is an officer's rank in Finland, immediately above ''Majuri'' (Major) and below ''Eversti'' (Colonel). History During peacetime, an ''everstiluutnantti'' is the commander o ...

'' (Lieutenant Colonel) and below ''

Prikaatikenraali ''Prikaatikenraali'' (Brigadier General) is an officer's rank in Finland, immediately above ''Eversti'' (Colonel) and below '' Kenraalimajuri'' (Major General). In Finland, the rank is translated as brigadier general. Finnish Defence Forces rank o ...

'' (Brigadier General). It literally means "the highest" and has originally been a rank for

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

commanders Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

. In Finland,

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. Br ...

s are also commanded by holders of this rank. It is the highest rank below

general officer A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED O ...

Finnish Defense Forces The Finnish Defence Forces ( fi, Puolustusvoimat, sv, Försvarsmakten) are the military of Finland. The Finnish Defence Forces consist of the Finnish Army, the Finnish Navy and the Finnish Air Force. In wartime the Finnish Border Guard (which i ...

rank of Eversti is comparable to OF-5 NATO rank.

History

Colonels (''eversti'') have usually fulfilled roles similar to

Brigadier General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

in other armies. Indeed, the rank of Brigadier General (''prikaatikenraali'') has been introduced relatively recently, enabling better compatibility of ranks in peacekeeping operations. In most large military installations such as training brigades, the commander is a Colonel, and several officers of the General Staff, such as inspectors of services, are also Colonels. Promotion to colonel requires graduation from a general staff officer course (80 study credits).

History

References

See also