From The National Home Guard to Chief of Staff

20 September 2012 kl: 15.29
Last updated: 8 July 2013 kl: 14.07
Archived news

39 years ago, Anders Brännström began his career as a Home Guard Recruit in Luleå. On Thursday, the Major General became the new Chief of Staff Swedish Army, and at a ceremony in Stockholm, his predecessor Major General Berndt Grundevik handed over the command.

Anders Brännström, the new Inspector General of the Swedish Armed Forces. Photo: Lena Parkvall/Försvarsmakten
Anders Brännström and Berndt Grundevik during the ceremony.
Anders Brännström and Berndt Grundevik during the ceremony. Photo: Lena Parkvall/Försvarsmakten
Anders Brännström and Berndt Grundevik during the ceremony. Photo: Lena Parkvall/Försvarsmakten

– To become Chief of Staff Swedish Army is the greatest duty that a soldier can be given, stated Anders Brännström in his speech.
He thanked Grundevik for his good work and noted that the recruitment work and restructuring of the Armed Forces are on their way to being completed shortly.

– This is a tough and demanding job, it doesn't take care of itself. It can take decades, said Anders Brännström.
He highlighted collaboration as the key to success and maintained that he is looking forward to continued, successful collaboration with all divisions of the Swedish Armed Forces.

Other sections from the Armed Forces Headquarters and a number of military attachés took part in the ceremony. The outgoing Inspector General will now assume Anders Brännström's previous role as Director of Operations second-in-command.
– We are doing what is known in chess as "castling". We're changing jobs with each other, said Anders Brännström.