Soldier, runner and mandolinist – London’s new Defence Attaché Esa Salminen

In August last year, Colonel Esa Salminen, former Commander of Signal Regiment in Riihimäki, became the new Defence Attaché in London. We interviewed the Colonel to learn more about his colourful background and the mysterious job of a Defence Attaché .  

Working alongside the Embassy of Finland in London is the Defence Attaché’s Office, which represents the Finnish Defence Forces in Britain and Ireland. Even though it is independent of and operates separately from the Finnish Foreign Service, it is not unusual for Finnish Defence Attachés to be stationed within the Embassy and cooperate with the civil mission. Late last summer, Colonel Esa Salminen became the newest addition to the long list of attachés who have served in London.

The many faces of an officer

During his nearly thirty-year career, Colonel Salminen has developed a broad understanding of his own profession: he has witnessed practically every aspect of the Finnish Defence Forces from basic training in various garrisons around the country to Defence Command in Helsinki. He has also taught at National Defence University. As far as international experience goes, he served in a Finnish contingency of UN peacekeepers in the former Yugoslavia in the mid-1990s.  

Known as a passionate sportsman - his own event is the sprint - Colonel Salminen names diversity as the greatest advantage of his profession: “There is a wide range of tasks and assignments available for an army officer both domestically and internationally.” Aside from having signals officer training, Colonel Salminen also boasts a degree in engineering, Licentiate in Technology, from Helsinki University of Technology. He has also mastered the fine instrument of mandolin, something his father taught him.  

The Colonel’s engineering degree was completed over six years while working full time. “I believe it was a midlife crisis of sorts, an urge to try out something fresh yet challenging,” he laughs and admits that knowledge of the more intricate technical side of things has been of great assistance when working with engineers and coordinating new materials deals for the Defence Forces. “It is always easier to communicate with engineers if you can speak their language.” 

When offered a posting to London Colonel Salminen didn’t hesitate. “We talked it through with the family and thought the international environment would benefit us all, especially the children,” notes the Colonel, father of two teenage boys. Professionally it would again mean a step to a new role completely different from the ones held before.

Yet an overseas post felt like a natural progression after years spent going from one domestic assignment to another. “Over the years I had gained a very comprehensive understanding of how the different branches and organizations within our Defence Forces functioned overall. In this view it was only logical to reach beyond our national borders for further experience.”     

As a Defence Attaché in London

Colonel Salminen describes the role of Defence Attaché as an interesting combination of an officer, a civil servant and a diplomat. According to him, networking and information exchange are the bedrocks of the job: “Defence Attaché is a representative of the Finnish Defence Forces and in that function is expected to uphold and create contacts to the local military personnel and other attaché colleagues.”    

The Defence Attaché’s expertise in security and military affairs is also available to the diplomats working at the Embassy. According to the Colonel, the first few months have shown that cooperation with the Embassy staff is effortless and deserves nothing but his highest appreciation. With only few surprises along the way thus far, the job itself has by and large met his expectations. “The greatest challenge is how to manage and filter the immense flood of available information. Networking, establishing oneself among 200 or so London-based colleagues, is also surprisingly time-consuming and requires your total focus and determination.”

Due to its small size, Finland needs to allocate its defence budget wisely. With respect to Finnish military personnel posted abroad, this means that with few exceptions all of them arrive straight from the domestic service with little or no experience in the international military diplomacy. This however doesn’t mean Finnish officers wouldn’t be respected internationally nor would they be apt for the job. Quite the contrary, as Colonel Salminen remarks, they are held in high regard among their peers exactly due to their extensive background in various fields of their profession: “What Finns may lack in diplomatic experience they compensate with their versatility and adaptability.”

London and beyond

The Colonel and his family have had no problems settling in London. Although the densely populated city can be slightly overwhelming for a Finn accustomed to less traffic and smaller crowds, the family feels they are well-received no matter where they go. “The single most important thing is that the boys like their school and hobbies. The well-being of the family is always the top priority,” tells the Colonel whose sons are no less talented in sports and music than their father.   

As of now there are no long-term plans beyond Colonel Salminen’s London posting which is expected to end in August 2012. He will have a possibility to retire from the army, a decision which will depend on what the Defence Forces have to offer him. Should an appealing and challenging proposition rise, he says he would be definitely willing to consider continuing.

“Being a soldier is my passion, so working for the Defence Forces is my number one preference in the future too.”

Text: Joonas Mikkilä, Embassy of Finland