Anders Brännström

Major General Anders Karl Oskar Brännström (born 28 February 1957) is a retired Swedish Army officer. He has served in Cyprus, Kosovo and Afghanistan and been commanding officer of Jämtland Ranger Regiment. Brännström's senior appointments include Deputy Chief of Joint Operations from 2008 to 2012 and Chief of Army from 2013 to 2016. He served as head of Exercise Viking 2018 and then as head of the Total Defence Department of the Joint Staff until 26 January 2018 when he was fired from the position due to critical statements about Sweden's lack of defense ability. At the time of his birth, his father was a visiting professor at the Suomi College and Theological Seminary in Hancock, Michigan. Brännström's time in the United States was brief as the family returned to Sweden four months after his birth, to Tärendö, where his father had been a vicar since 1951. For five years, he lived in the manse in Tärendö before his father took the position as vicar in Burträsk in 1962. The Brännström family stayed in Burträsk until 1966 before they moved north again. The new address became Nygatan 12 in Luleå where his father got a new job as dean and later bishop in the Diocese of Luleå until 1986. The same year he was assigned to Norrbotten Armoured Battalion (I 19/P 5), part of Norrbotten Regiment in Boden, which would become his home regiment for 19 years. He was commanding officer of the Ground Operational Section (Markoperativa sektionen) within the Upper Norrland Military District/Northern Military District from 1992 to 1995 and of the Jämtland Ranger Regiment (I 5) in Östersund from 1998 to 2003. From April until October 2000, Brännström was commanding officer of the Swedish Battalion (SWEBAT) and head of the Swedish contingent in the Kosovo Force in Kosovo.

In 2007, Brännström became acting head of the Army Tactical Staff in Stockholm. He then served as the Deputy Chief of Joint Operations from 2008 to 2012 This position was in 2013 name changed to Chief of Army. On 1 June 2016 Brännström left the position as Chief of Army due to the frustration of the lack of opportunities to do a good job. Brännström had made critical statements about Sweden's lack of defense ability.

Personal life Brännström (right) with major general Berndt Grundevik in 2008. Brännström is married to Christin and they have three children.

Dates of rank

1979 – Lieutenant 1982 – Captain 1986 – Major 1995 – Lieutenant colonel 1998 – Colonel 2003 – Brigadier general 2008 – Major general

Awards and decorations

Swedish

50x50px Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences Medal of Reward in gold (Kungl. Krigsvetenskapsakademiens belöningsmedalj i guld)

Foreign

Courses Brännström's courses: Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences [Swedish] Peacekeeper of the Year (2005)