Finnish Brigadier General Matti Honko to serve on special assignment to 10th Mountain Division of United States Army

Brigadier General Matti Honko, an officer of the Finnish Defence Forces, will serve on special assignment as adviser to the commander of the 10th Mountain Division of the United States Army as of 1 December 2025.

Honko has previously served in the Finnish Defence Forces as Commander of the Guard Jaeger Regiment, Chief of Staff of the Pori Brigade and Commander of the Jaeger Artillery Regiment of the Armoured Brigade and in the Finnish Ministry of Defence as Military Assistant to the Permanent Secretary.

According to Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen, Honko’s special assignment reflects the deep relationship of trust between Finland and the United States. “Defence cooperation between our countries is getting deeper year by year. The appointment of Brigadier General Honko as an adviser to the commander of the 10th Mountain Division is just one example of the depth and versality of our cooperation and of our mutual appreciation for each other’s military training and international expertise,” Minister Häkkänen said.

The 10th Mountain Division is a light infantry division in the United States Army based at Fort Drum in New York. Since 2002, the 10th Mountain Division has been the most deployed regular U.S. Army unit. Its combat brigades have seen over 20 deployments, to both Iraq and Afghanistan, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

Honko’s appointment is part of the Military Personnel Exchange programme of Finland and the United States. The President of the Republic has granted Matti Honko the service rank of a brigadier general for the duration of the special assignment.

Inquiries: Finnish Defence Forces’ media service, [email protected].