International military exercise and competition in Estonia
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Erna Raid (Estonian: Erna retk) was an annual international military exercise and competition, one of the longest and most difficult in the world, held every August from 1995 to 2011 in Estonia. It was organized by the Erna Society and commemorates the actions of the long-range reconnaissance group'Erna' in the summer of 1941. [1]
The competition is named after the Erna long-range reconnaissance group (Estonian: Erna luuregrupp) and themed after its activities in the summer of 1941. In 1993, a group of enthusiasts followed the historical route of the Erna group of 1941 and came up with the idea of organizing a commemorative competition. A first try with only Estonian participants was held in 1994. In the autumn of 1994, the Erna society was founded, and in 1995, the first annual international competition was held.
cross-country tactical movement and navigation, without night camp down, over a distance of around 150 kilometers while avoiding and escaping from "hostile" security forces;
various (and varying over the years) minigames during the competition. These may involve grenade throwing, combat first aid, and other military skills.
Foreign teams were always welcome to partake in the competition. In 2007, 28 teams from nine different countries participated:
People's Republic of China
have been traditionally successful in the competition and took 1st and 2nd place in 2002. Other successful teams have come from Finland and Norway.
Due to the home advantage attributed to the intimate knowledge of the terrain by the local teams, changes to the competition were discussed in 2011. [2]
The table below records the final results for the year's competition. It does not include retired and disqualified teams. DL is the acronym for the Defense League.
illegitimate and conflatable with "fascism" in an occupied country or one targeted for occupation; second, that Estonia should be criticized for remembering an act of national resistance and its casualties. [8]
Estonia's Minister of Defense,
Soviet paramilitary units, and specifically pointed out cases of burning farmers alive along with their farms in Kutla. [9][10]