# Defense League head: Our task in shaping the future is involving young people > Source: > Published: 2026-06-25 07:05:00+00:00 # Defense League head: Our task in shaping the future is involving young people Commander of the Estonian Defense League Ilmar Tamm said in his Victory Day speech that young people must be shown they have an important role to play in shaping Estonia's future, including in AI-based defense systems. We are able to stand here today in a free Rapla, in a free Estonia, because the War of Independence was our nation's greatest victory. It was a victory to which schoolboys made a remarkable contribution. In the Estonian national army, inexperienced but determined young volunteers fought side by side with men hardened by World War I. Did anyone question whether the future of the young people who went off to the War of Independence depended on someone else? Did any of those schoolboys ask themselves what kind of Estonia they were creating for future generations? Probably not — they had little time for such questions. But because they won our freedom, they deserve to be remembered as far more than names engraved on marble plaques. When we think about young people today, is it really enough to tell them rhetorically that they are Estonia's future? No. As a society, we must tell them now that they are needed today and that they are an essential part of shaping Estonia's future. Sixty-five years ago, President Kennedy said: Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country. We should not stand by passively or criticize young people's physical or mental abilities. Instead, we should ask what we can do to support and inspire them. The Estonian Defense League gives our young people freedom, creativity and responsibility. The freedom to help make Estonia better, the creativity to find new ways of doing so and the responsibility to understand that their contribution matters. The Estonian Defense League offers 8,000 young people opportunities to grow and learn, to work together as a team and to become people who care about their communities and about Estonia. We must not allow ourselves to be distracted by differences between generations. In a country that regained its independence 35 years ago, it is no longer appropriate to promote the stereotype that only those who lived under Soviet occupation can truly appreciate freedom. Yes, they can — and deeply so. But we also know that our younger generations, whether the younger millennials, Generation Z or Generation Alpha, understand what freedom means. A young person who has grown up in a free Estonia and received an education in an open world possesses a powerful desire for freedom and the determination to defend it. They understand what freedom is because today's security situation shows us its price. Our most important task in shaping the future is to involve young people. To listen to them. To trust them. We share one common goal — to keep Estonia free. Just as young people played a decisive role in the War of Independence, they also play a central role in today's Victory Day celebrations. The young people carrying the Victory Flame from Rapla to Estonia's counties have set themselves clear goals and ambitions that will help secure both their own future and the future of our country. There are many such young people. Allow me to highlight two of the outstanding young torchbearers. Ann Pikkorainen, a member of the Home Daughters (Kodutütred) from the Harju district, hopes to dedicate her life to national defense. Ann has been part of the Home Daughters for 11 years — a remarkable commitment. In just a few weeks, she will begin her military service, after which she plans to continue her studies in national defense. Best of luck to you, Ann! Robert Täht, a member of the Young Eagles (Home Daughters and Young Eagles are the youth organizations of the Estonian Defense League — ed.) from the Jõgeva district, will carry the Victory Flame to the Cyber Defense Unit. Over the past three years, he has become a true leader and innovator in the field of drones. He builds and upgrades drones and flies them during exercises with both the Estonian Defense League and the Estonian Defense Forces. Robert, keep up the excellent work! I also want to recognize the Kosenkranius family. Veronica is an active member of the Rapla district of the Women's Voluntary Defense Organization and Erik is an active member of the Rapla district of the Estonian Defense League. In addition, they are deeply committed to youth work in their local community, serving as volunteer youth leaders. Erik has been a member of the organization for 11 years and Veronica for seven. In the first half of this year alone, the two of them have contributed a combined 340 hours in service to the organization. Thank you both! The ranks of the Home Daughters and Young Eagles are raising a generation that will find its place in national defense — whether in uniform or not, armed or unarmed. But always as responsible citizens. Their activities teach young people to notice and care for others, to lead and to act even in difficult situations. Through the Estonian Defense League, young people develop not only practical defense skills but also the will to defend their country. More importantly, by engaging with them from an early age, we equip them with the skills they need to be capable of defending Estonia. People of Estonia, the Estonian Defense League is a cross-section of our society, bringing together motivated citizens. We also play a vital role in developing comprehensive national defense and in educating and supporting young people. That is why each of you — for example, by serving as a youth leader — has the opportunity to contribute. Let us support and encourage the young people on whom Estonia's next 25 or 50 years will depend. In other words, the future is already here today. Whether we like it or not, artificial intelligence is here to stay. I look with hope toward our young people who will clearly become more skilled at using AI than previous generations. And that is essential for national defense as well. Even today, warfare employs AI-based systems that assist in making decisions — decisions on which life and death depend. Yet despite the rapid growth in computing power and new breakthroughs in AI models, the human ability to define a problem remains essential. Let us keep pace with the times, but let us also remember that it is human wisdom that determines how and for what purpose technology is used. Wise people understand that national defense is not solely the state's responsibility. The private sector also has an important role to play, whether by continuing to pay reservists during military exercises or by making financial contributions toward needed equipment. Estonia's defense industry can develop only if we invest in it ourselves. A career in the defense industry should be one of the options young people consider and it is even better when they can bring their new ideas into the private sector and combine them with the proven experience of national defense. Today, however, let us be sincerely grateful to live in a free Estonia. Let us be grateful that there are people among us who are wholeheartedly prepared to defend our freedom. Let us enjoy the opportunity to celebrate Victory Day and Midsummer with our loved ones in a free Estonia and let us believe in our ability to defend our country. -- Editor: Marcus Turovski