Wait, Raanta was in the Finnish Army? And he was almost fragged by a squadmate?

[No Fun Shogun]

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/2441...s-with-stories-from-days-in-finnish-army.html

Raanta on a war game.....

Raanta had one job as the leader of his RPG (rocket-propelled grenade) company — to check for mines so the tank following a few hundred meters behind wouldn’t explode.

He failed.

‘‘It was kind of a fiasco,’’ Raanta said. ‘‘Everybody blew up, all the leaders in our army. We saw the tank blow up first, and I was like, ‘Oh, [expletive].’ We came over as fast as we could. But then we drove over another mine, so we died also.’’

On almost getting fragged by a real RPG....

There was the time one of his teammates ... fired a rocket at a tank 300 meters away, only to hit the ground barely halfway there, nearly blowing up his unit for real and sending his sergeant into a fit of rage.

Raanta's rapidly climbed to near the top of Hawks that I'd like to grab a beer with.

Click to read more...

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

I think Finland has mandatory military service. Cool story though.

 

[member 151739]

Well, that's something.

 

[madgoat33]

no wonder he stays so composed. once you've almost been exploded, its hard to get worked up over a game.

 

[Callidusblackhawk]

"Kind of a fiasco"

 

[Sevanston]

Now we can officially describe him as calm like a bomb (went off pretty close to him one time)

 

[EricRealm]

Now we can officially describe him as calm like a bomb (went off pretty close to him one time)

Antii "Tank" Raanta

 

[BGFalconHawks]

Antii "Tank" Raanta

This, so much this.

 

[jrc494]

Antii "Tank" Raanta

 

[FiLe]

I think Finland has mandatory military service.

Indeed. Actually, what's been recited here by Raanta is even nothing special. Most of us Finns here on these boards would likely have plenty of similar stories to share.

As a matter of fact, I recall musing once that with all these boneheads around, messing with live ammo and ordnance, it's a small miracle that there aren't all that many serious mishaps.

 

[JabbaJabba]

Great stories, however, I'm a bit sceptical about the "getting blown up for real" story. I have shot few bazookas back in my military days and they are very careful about these, someone must have ****ed up pretty badly if it actually was a close call.

Although, our second lieutenant lead usin to a shooting range where there was a tank shooting practise going on. We almost became a live target. There was a lot of yelling after it

 

[FiLe]

Great stories, however, I'm a bit sceptical about the "getting blown up for real" story. I have shot few bazookas back in my military days and they are very careful about these, someone must have ****ed up pretty badly if it actually was a close call.

Yeah. I think something's been lost in translation. Letting someone fire a live RPG in training when there are men between the shooter and the target is pretty unheard of. Either it was a training round, or one of those hypothetical "congratulations, you just killed your whole unit" situations.

Like once, when my teammate accidentally "shot" our platoon commander... with a blank. The training officer gave the poor sod an earful, then simply took the PC aside and let the NCOs run the exercise through, because the guy was now "dead".

 

[KHLJokers*]

I think Finland has mandatory military service.

[MOD]
If i dont remember wrong, Mikko Koivu went army like few years ago while playing in Minnesota??

 

[No Fun Shogun]

Keep the politics to the politics board, kids.

 

[Kuhta]

[MOD]
If i dont remember wrong, Mikko Koivu went army like few years ago while playing in Minnesota??

Mikko Koivu went there for 10 or so days to take pictures in army suit. Antti Raanta was nobody when he went there so he actually had to do the normal service.

 

[Jussi]

Mikko Koivu went there for 10 or so days to take pictures in army suit. Antti Raanta was nobody when he went there so he actually had to do the normal service.

Yeah, the big name athletes get off way easier with their army service than the no name ones.

 

[Crazy_Ike]

Indeed. Actually, what's been recited here by Raanta is even nothing special. Most of us Finns here on these boards would likely have plenty of similar stories to share.

As a matter of fact, I recall musing once that with all these boneheads around, messing with live ammo and ordnance, it's a small miracle that there aren't all that many serious mishaps.

That you hear of.

"Keeping the public informed" isn't high on the list of priorities for very many militaries.

 

[Jussi]

Yeah. I think something's been lost in translation. Letting someone fire a live RPG in training when there are men between the shooter and the target is pretty unheard of. Either it was a training round, or one of those hypothetical "congratulations, you just killed your whole unit" situations.

Like once, when my teammate accidentally "shot" our platoon commander... with a blank. The training officer gave the poor sod an earful, then simply took the PC aside and let the NCOs run the exercise through, because the guy was now "dead".

I remember when I was in the military and during our basic training, the fort/island I was stationed at had artillery training. It was during December and a bunch of was were allowed to go to the shooting range's observation deck to watch one of the big cannons shoot at the target pulled by a boat (purpose wasn't naturally to actually hit the target). One shot hit a little too close to the target and actually caused some damage. We heard the crew on the boat we're a "little" pissed off/almost crapped themselves. Pics of the cannons here: http://canet.kuvat.fi/kuvat/Kuuskajaskari/ Video of the cannon firing: http://www.kuuskajaskari.fi/saluutti.wmv

 

[Jussi]

That you hear of.

"Keeping the public informed" isn't high on the list of priorities for very many militaries.

It's practically impossible to keep such things hidden in Finland. Someone always talks or raises a crapstorm.

 

[FiLe]

That you hear of.

"Keeping the public informed" isn't high on the list of priorities for very many militaries.

WTG missing the point. It's not about the public looking outside in, but someone who, along with most of his countrymen, has actually been there. There's at least one basket case in every unit, which means that there are around a hundred to thousand accidents waiting to happen, in every camp, every friggin' day. But over all those months, there was never anything but relatively minor stuff.

Besides, like Jussi alluded, despite ones best attempts to keep the news from spreading outside the fence, there is no way to stop it from spreading inside. And since there are thousands of guys inside that fence, to keep nothing from leaking outside too is practically impossible.

I remember when I was in the military and during our basic training, the fort/island I was stationed at had artillery training. It was during December and a bunch of was were allowed to go to the shooting range's observation deck to watch one of the big cannons shoot at the target pulled by a boat (purpose wasn't naturally to actually hit the target). One shot hit a little too close to the target and actually caused some damage. We heard the crew on the boat we're a "little" pissed off/almost crapped themselves.

Not exactly comparable, since the boat kinda had to be there in order to tow the target. When you're firing an RPG round at a dummy target, I don't see why anyone would unnecessarily place men between the target and the shooter. Unless, of course, the training officer has lost most of his marbles. Hmm, come to think of it...

 

[behemolari]

no wonder he stays so composed. once you've almost been exploded, its hard to get worked up over a game.

staying calm, composed, on the edge - yes, once youre been in army. not so much to do with accident or so.