Veterans´ stories

Veteran Roland Lindeburg

Veteran Roland Lindeburg
16.03.2016
Roland Lindeburg: Fiskostar OÜ Sales Manager

What has your career been like in the Defence Forces (where have you served and for how long)?

I started my career in the Defence Forces in 2006 with military service in the Kuperjanov Infantry Battalion.
After that, an opportunity was offered to move on to the intelligence company. The composition of the Iraqi ESTPLA-16 began to be assembled in tandem to that.
After my military service in Kuperjanov, I joined the Peace Operations Center in Paldiski, where they began to prepare us for the mission in Iraq.
The pre-mission training lasted for approx. 6 months.
I went on my first mission in 2007-2008, at the age of 20, as part of ESTPLA-16.
After the mission, I went on to acquire higher education at Tallinn University of Technology.
When I went to school, I knew in my heart that I wanted to go on a new mission after my second year.
I joined the Scouts Battalion in 2010, and in the autumn of the same year, I went to Afghanistan as part of ESTCOY-11.

Why did you decide to go on a mission?

Since I was young, I have had a military instinct inside me, I wanted to contribute on behalf of Estonia. In addition, a young boy’s desire for adrenaline. Iraq and Afghanistan are located in geographically and politically very exotic areas that travel agencies do not offer tickets to. This was also one of the reasons why I wanted to go on a mission.

What is your profession today?

Today, I work at Fiskostar as a sales manager for hardware stores.

What is your connection with the Defence Forces today?

Today, there is no direct connection with the Defence Forces, but I am on their list.

What was the main takeaway from the mission experience? How did this affect choices later in life?

The mission experience gave me confidence. I boldly face new challenges.
Thanks to the mission, I definitely know how to plan things better, because everything was very specific on the mission – what, which, where.
This experience gave me the ability to cope in extreme conditions. And it certainly made me appreciate my own life better – what life and conditions were like in these regions cannot even be compared to our circumstances in Estonia.

How many people outside of your closest circle know that you’ve been on a mission/missions?

I have not directly told people outside of my social circle that I have been on missions.
If the topic comes up during the conversation, I will mention it.

What is the first reaction when people hear that you have been a defence soldier and have been on a mission?

People are interested in this kind of thing, and so far everyone has considered me very brave and shown respect.

What do you think or feel when you see people wearing a Blue Hepatica pin?

I feel proud and encourage others to wear the blue Hepatica as well! I’m glad that people have bought it and are supporting the injured soldiers with the donations.

Is there someone you think of or salute when you wear a Blue Hepatica pin?

By wearing the blue Hepatica, I commemorate the members of the Defence Forces who are no longer with us and support comrades who have been injured while on mission.

What do you wish for your fellows and the entire Estonian nation on this Veterans Day?

I wish the Estonian people and comrades a brave Veteran’s Day and strength for the future!