Martin Herem

Martin Herem (born 17 December 1973) is an Estonian General and was the Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces from 2018 to 2024.

Herem entered into service in 1992. From 2013 to 2016 he served as the Commandant of the Estonian National Defence College and from 2016 to 2018 Chief of Staff of the Headquarters of the Estonian Defence Forces. Herem was one of the re-founding members of the paramilitary Estonian Defence League in 1990.

On 24 January 2023, Martin Herem was promoted to the rank of general.

Herem became the Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces in December 2018. His tenure was extended for another two years in October 2022, in the interests of stability in the backdrop of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. On 16 January 2024, Herem announced his plan to step down from the post in the summer of 2024, calling the situation stable enough for the change of leadership, which it might not be in the end of his tenure in two years time.

Awards, decorations, and recognition

Decorations and badges

Personal life

Martin Herem is married and has a son and two daughters.