- Leo Kunnas
Infobox Military Person
name= Leo Kunnas
born= birth date and age|1967|11|14
died=
placeofbirth= Kliima village,Estonia
placeofdeath=
caption=
nickname=
allegiance=flag|Estonia
branch=Maavägi (Army)
serviceyears=1992 -2007
rank=Lieutenant Colonel (reserve)
commands=Meegomäe Battle School Estonian Military Academy General Staff Dept of Operations
unit=
battles=Operation Iraqi Freedom
awards=4th class Order of the Cross of the Eagle Estonian Defence Forces' Distinguished Service Medal Estonian Defence League's Distinguished Service Medal (2)Bronze Star
laterwork= writer
portrayedby=Leo Kunnas (born
November 14 ,1967 in Kliima village, Orava borough, Estonia) is an Estonian writer and former commissioned officer. After graduating from the Finnish National Defence Academy 1994, Kunnas was the commander of the Defence Forces Battle School (Meegomäe, Võru). He was also the first commander of Estonian Military Academy 1997-1999 (located in Tallinn at that time). [ [http://www.ksk.edu.ee/est/korgemsojakool/ajalugu Kaitseväe Ühendatud Õppeasutused ] ]In 2003-2007, he was the chief of the Department of Operations (J3) of the
Estonian Defence Forces General Staff, holding the rank ofLieutenant colonel . After graduating from US National Defence University (Norfolk, Virginia) he served 2005 as a staff officer in Operation Iraqi Freedom in MND-Baghdad 3.BCT. [ Kirjanik ja ohvitser Leo Kunnas võitleb Iraagi vabaduse eest. "Eesti Ekspress", 14.09.2005 http://paber.ekspress.ee/viewdoc/A5294676F5A7C6ECC225707A004223BD ]Kunnas resigned from active duty in autumn 2007. The reason for his resignation was the issue of change of Estonian constitution proposed to the parliament by President
Toomas Hendrik Ilves . [ On-line intervjuu: küsimustele vastas Leo Kunnas. "Postimees", 17.10.2007 http://sport.postimees.ee/071007/esileht/siseuudised/287116.php ]After his resignation, he has defended the following views in numerous articles:
* Changing the Estonian Constitution would be a serious mistake. Abolishing the President's role as Supreme Commander of the Defence Forces, and giving the role to the Minister of Defense, is dangerous. This change would not serve the civilian control over the Estonian Defence Forces, but would give the MOD officials unlimited power over the Estonian Defence Forces, and would politicize the officers' and NCO corps.
* Estonia should be ready to defend herself with a well-trained reserve-based army inside of the NATO framework. The weak point of Estonian NATO membership is the lack of any military plans to defend the Baltics, which means that albeit help will eventually come (he is not arguing over Article 5), Estonia would be occupied without credible self-defence. He is referring to the 2003 RAND research, "The Baltic States and NATO Membership". [http://www.senate.gov/~foreign/testimony/2003/LarrabeeTestimony030403.pdf] .
* Russia is the most serious geopolitical factor for Estonian security which will not be forgotten in defence planning. He argues that Estonia should plan according the worst case scenario and this is the reason for rise the Estonian reserve component up to the 40 000 reservists (wartime operational structure is currently at around 16 000).
* The Estonian MOD has done nothing to develop the credible self-defence capability and is focusing only international missions.
The reaction from the Estonian society and government circles is dualistic in nature. In one hand Lt. Gen (Ret.) Johannes Kert thinks that Leo Kunnas is the one of the very few people in Estonia who has analytical and very clear vision of the Estonian defence issues [ [http://www.epl.ee/artikkel/419379 Johannes Kert: näen vajadust tankide ja lennuvahendite järele - Eesti Päevaleht Online ] ] . Estonian MOD officials (and especially ex-minister of defence Jürgen Ligi) are strongly against Kunnas' views. [ [http://www.mod.gov.ee/?op=body&id=476 Kaitseministeerium ] ] [ [http://www.epl.ee/artikkel/425010 JÜRGEN LIGI: kangelassurmast ei maksa kogu aeg unistada - Eesti Päevaleht Online ] ]
=Education=
Leo Kunnas has studied history, philosophy and politics in the following universities:
* 1991 - University of Helsinki
* 1989-1991 - Estonian Humanitarian InstituteMilitary education:
* 1992-1994 Finnish National Defence Academy - 1.Estonian Officer Course
* 2001-2002 Finnish National Defence Academy - Senior Staff Officer Course
* 2005 US National Defence University (Norfolk, Virginia)=Military Career=
Estonian Army
* 1992
Ensign
* 1994Second Lieutenant
* 1995First Lieutenant
* 1997Captain
* 1999Major
* 2003Lieutenant Colonel =Belletristic Activity=
Novels
* 1990 - "Kustumatu valguse maailm" ( "The World of the Eternal Light")
* 2001 - "Sõdurjumala teener" ("Servant of the War God")Documentary Stories
* 2006 - "Viiv pikas sõjas" ("A Moment in the Long War" - some parts are available on-line [http://www.diplomaatia.ee/?archive_mode=article&articleid=145)] )
Articles an Interviews in Estonian newspapers
* "Põhiseaduslik korratus ilma kaitseväe juhatajata" ("The Constitutional Disorder without the Commander of Estonian Defence Forces")- "Postimees" 03.10.2007 [ [http://sport.postimees.ee/031007/esileht/arvamus/286897.php Postimees: Leo Kunnas: põhiseaduslik korratus ilma kaitseväe juhatajata ] ]
* "NATO nõrgeneb - mida teha?" ("NATO is weakening - what to should be done?") - "Eesti Päevaleht" 28.11.07 [ [http://www.epl.ee/arvamus/409447 LEO KUNNAS: NATO nõrgeneb – mida teha? - Eesti Päevaleht Online ] ]
* "Eesti 2007: Pyrrhose võit" ("Estonia 2007: Phyrros Victory") - "Eesti Päevaleht" 31.12.07 [ [http://www.epl.ee/artikkel/413080 LEO KUNNAS: Eesti 2007: Pyrrhose võit - Eesti Päevaleht Online ] ]
* "Lõiv õhukesele riigile" ("The idea of "thin" state") - "Eesti Päevaleht" 29.01.08 [ [http://www.epl.ee/artikkel/416452 LEO KUNNAS: Lõiv õhukesele riigile - Eesti Päevaleht Online ] ]
* "35 viga iseseisva kaitsevõime ülesehitamisel" ("35 Mistakes of building up the Estonian Military Capabilities") - "Eesti Ekspress" 07.02.2008 [ [http://www.ekspress.ee/2008/02/07/eesti-uudised/989-leo-kunnas-35-viga-eesti-iseseisva-kaitsevoime-arendamisel Eesti Ekspress - Leo Kunnas: 35 viga Eesti iseseisva kaitsevõime arendamisel ] ]
* "Eesti: raua ja verega sündinud riik" ("Estonia: State that has born from Iron and Blood") - "Eesti Päevaleht" 21.02.08 [ [http://www.epl.ee/arvamus/419544 LEO KUNNAS: Eesti: raua ja verega sündinud riik - Eesti Päevaleht Online ] ]
* "Läti saatuslik valik" ("The Fatal Choise of Latvia") - "Eesti Päevaleht" 06.03.2008 [ [http://195.222.15.17/artikkel/421205 LEO KUNNAS: Läti saatuslik valik - Eesti Päevaleht Online ] ]
* "Eesti kui A-grupi potensiaalne konfliktikolle" ("Estonia as the A-Group conflict centre") - "Eesti Päevaleht" 08.04.2008. [ [http://www.epl.ee/arvamus/424941 LEO KUNNAS: Eesti kui A-grupi potentsiaalne konfliktikolle - Eesti Päevaleht Online ] ]
* "Riigikaitse juriidiline rägastik" ("Juridical Maze of Estonian Defence") - "Eesti Päevaleht" 20.04.2008. [ [http://www.epl.ee/arvamus/422875 LEO KUNNAS: Riigikaitse juriidiline rägastik - Eesti Päevaleht Online ] ]
* "Müüt rahuaja kaitseväest" ("Myth of the peace-time army") - "Eesti Päevaleht" 22.04.2008. [ [http://www.epl.ee/artikkel/426433 LEO KUNNAS: Müüt rahuaja kaitseväest - Eesti Päevaleht Online ] ]
* "Kaitsekulutuste suurendamine: mille arvelt?" ("How to raise defence expenditures? ") - "Eesti Päevaleht" 28.07.2008. [ [http://www.epl.ee/artikkel/436634 LEO KUNNAS: Kaitsekulutuste suurendamine: mille arvelt?" - Eesti Päevaleht Online ] ]
* "Leo Kunnas: eestlased peavad oma riiki ise kaitsma." ("Estonians shall defend their country oneselves ") - "Postimees" 14.08.2008. [ [http://www.postimees.ee/?id=26695 LEO KUNNAS: Eestlased peavad oma riiki ise kaitsma." " - Postimees Online ] ] =Interesting Facts=At the age of 16, Leo Kunnas was sentenced to Soviet prison for attempted border crossing and possession of firearms. One of the prosecutors was Ain Seppik, a former Communist and current Estonian top politician. [ Kohtunik Ain Seppik saatis 17-aastase Leo Kunnase vanglasse. "Postimees", 31.01.2003 http://vana.www.postimees.ee/index.html?op=lugu&rubriik=3&id=88194&number=719 ] Kunnas looks back at the violent prison years in his novel, "The World of the Eternal Light", which won the "Looming" annual award 1991. His novel "Sõdurjumala teener" ("Servant of the Soldier God") earned the second place award at the Estonian novel competition of 2000. [ Piret Tali. Major Leo Kunnas’s novel about the triumph of the will. http://www.einst.ee/literary/spring2002/14_12.htm ]
In 2007 the Journalists Association Estonia announced his article "Eesti 2007: Phyrrose võit" ("Eesti Päevaleht",31.12.07) as the best opinion article of the year. [ [http://www.epl.ee/artikkel/421450 2007. aasta parim arvamuslugu ilmus Eesti Päevalehes - Eesti Päevaleht Online ] ]
=Family=
Spouse Kaja Kunnas is a journalist. Leo Kunnas has three children.
Notes
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