Toimisto-AU

From The D Archives

Toimisto-aliupseeri (company clerk NCO) is a position usually found in every company, battery, squadron etc. in the Finnish Defence Forces. Usually a person is specifically picked to fill this role for the entirety of six months after his or hers graduation from the NCO-course. Sometimes, though, through one way or another a person with another job description landing this job more or less willingly can happen. The company clerk NCO is usually a corporal - and in some extremely rare cases he can be promoted to full sergeant.

The tasks of a Toimisto-AU can vary - although mostly he or she will have alot to do with regular bureaucratic showeling inside a unit. He or she is the person that handles and distributes mail, does all the needed forms and work with the computer and sometimes can be designated as the guy commanding the supply platoon inside a company, which means that he does get out alot especially after the basic training period of two months. Sometimes, though, (and most often than not!) the clerk NCO can be just a pawn for the officers to dump all paperwork on. After the basic training period, the NCO clerk will receive a normal clerk from the enlisted personnel rank as a deputy, who will either go to field exercises for him or stay behind in the unit to do the NCO's tasks.

What can be expected if you land this job? In some units this is just shits and giggles, but in some (usually bigger) units it will be a tough, unfair, unforgiving and most importantly underrated job. It will be luck and circumstances alone that will decide whether or not you'll have a good run with it. As an additional note, the Huoltoaliupseeri (supply NCO) pretty much falls into the same category as this.