Every once in a while the Finnish Air Force's continued use of swastika emblems makes news. There is currently a joint airforce exercise in Finland involving units from several countries. A few days ago, the Finnish Air Force held a small ceremony in honour of the Finnish Defence Force's Flag Day. Representatives of the visiting militaries were invited, but the officer representing the German Bundeswehr declined the invitation when he was told of this flag which belongs to the Lapland Air Command of the FAF (a clearer look at the flag in Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lapland_Air_Command):
https://twitter.com/TeivoTeivainen/status/1400827834235605001Title from
Lapin Kansa, the newspaper from which the screenshot is taken: "Swastika prevented Germans from participating in Flag Day ceremony in Rovaniemi -- 'German soldiers can not stand in front of such a flag'"
Comment from Teivo Teivainen (professor of world politics, University of Helsinki): "Swastika complicates military co-operation, though it upholds tradition. From a German point of view, the #SeparateSwastika might not be separate enough to work with. #FlagDay"
The German officer was quoted in another article:
"I was told in advance that the flag would be in the ceremony, so I decided not to attend. Even though the event has the best of intentions, as a German officer I cannot appear with such a symbol. [...] Appearing with a swastika would be sufficient grounds for expelling me from the German Armed Forces."
https://www.mtvuutiset.fi/artikkeli/saksalaiset-jattivat-lippujuhlan-seremonian-valiin-hakaristin-takia-saksalaisena-upseerina-en-voi-esiintya-sellaisen-symbolin-kanssa/8163368#gs.2snac2The history of the swastika in the Finnish Air Force goes back to 1918 when the Swedish nobleman Eric von Rosen donated the FAF one of its first planes. He had painted a swastika on the plane because it was a personal symbol used by him, and the FAF adopted the swastika as its emblem. This usage had nothing to do with nazism, as the nazis adopted the swastika later, in 1920 (though Rosen did later become a nazi). Until 1945, FAF planes used a blue swastika on a white background as the air force roundel. That was changed after WW2, but units of the Air Force have still continued to use a swastika in their flags.
BBC wrote on the Finnish use of the swastika last year when the central Air Force Command changed its swastika emblem (but, as noted, individual FAF units continue to use it):
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53249645
