Colonel (Col) ( sv, Överste, Öv) is the most senior

field grade A senior officer is an officer of a more senior grade in military or other uniformed services. In military organisations, the term may refer to any officer above junior officer rank, but usually specifically refers to the middle-ranking group of ...

military

officer An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...

rank Rank is the relative position, value, worth, complexity, power, importance, authority, level, etc. of a person or object within a ranking, such as: Level or position in a hierarchical organization * Academic rank * Diplomatic rank * Hierarchy * H ...

in the

Swedish Army The Swedish Army ( sv, svenska armén) is the land force of the Swedish Armed Forces. History Svea Life Guards dates back to the year 1521, when the men of Dalarna chose 16 young able men as body guards for the insurgent nobleman Gustav Vas ...

and the

Swedish Air Force The Swedish Air Force ( sv, Svenska flygvapnet or just ) is the air force branch of the Swedish Armed Forces. History The Swedish Air Force was created on 1 July, 1926 when the aircraft units of the Army and Navy were merged. Because of the es ...

, immediately above the rank of

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

and just below the rank of

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

. It is equivalent to the naval rank of

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

in the

Swedish Navy The Swedish Navy ( sv, Svenska marinen) is the naval branch of the Swedish Armed Forces. It is composed of surface and submarine naval units – the Fleet () – as well as marine units, the Amphibious Corps (). In Swedish, vessels o ...

History

''Överste'' ("Colonel") is the name for the highest regimental officer rank. The name, sometimes in the connection with ''häröverste'' ("army colonel") and also ''generalöverste'' ("colonel general"), is as old as a

standing army A standing army is a permanent, often professional, army. It is composed of full-time soldiers who may be either career soldiers or conscripts. It differs from army reserves, who are enrolled for the long term, but activated only during wars or n ...

, that is, from the end of the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

. During the 16th and 17th centuries, a famous soldier was commissioned to recruit a regiment and was then appointed colonel at the head of it. The regiment was thus the colonel's belonging; he appointed, among other things, its officers. To the extent that the recruitment was immediately taken over by the state, the colonels began to be appointed by the king as well as the other officers. Even today, the colonel is usually the regimental commander. The rank of colonel was between the rank of

and

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

until 1972 when senior colonel rank was introduced. Thereafter, colonel was between lieutenant colonel and senior colonel from 1972 to 2000 when the

rank was introduced. Since 2000, the rank of colonel is between the lieutenant colonel and the brigadier general and the senior colonel (for those who still hold the rank, no new appointments are made) is between colonel and the brigadier general.

Rank insignia

Collar patches

File:OF-5 Överste.jpg, Collar patch m/58 for colonel File:1 Överste 1939.jpg, Collar patch File:12 Överste krage 1923.jpg, Collar patch

Shoulder marks

Air Force

File:OF-5_Överste_FV_hylsa.jpg,
(2000–present) File:OF-5 Överste 1987-2000 FV hylsa.jpg,
(1987–2000)

Army

File:12 Överste axelklaff m1923.jpg,

Shoulder mark A shoulder mark, also called rank slide, or slip-on, is a flat cloth sleeve worn on the shoulder strap of a uniform. It may bear rank or other insignia. A shoulder mark should not be confused with a ''shoulder board'' (which is an elaborate sho ...

m/1923
(13 =

Dalarna Regiment The Dalarna Regiment ( sv, Dalregementet), designation I 13, is a Swedish Army infantry unit that traced its origins back to the 16th century. The regiment's soldiers were originally recruited from the province of Dalarna Dalarna () is a '' ...

) File:12 Överste axelträns m1910.jpg,

m/1910
(13 =

) File:Axelklaff m1895 överste trängen.jpg,

m/1895 ( Service Troops)

Navy (Amphibious Corps)

File:OF-5 Överste AMF hylsa.jpg, Embroidered

shoulder mark A shoulder mark, also called rank slide, or slip-on, is a flat cloth sleeve worn on the shoulder strap of a uniform. It may bear rank or other insignia. A shoulder mark should not be confused with a ''shoulder board'' (which is an elaborate sho ...

(Navy)
(2000–present) File:OF-5 Överste 1987-2000 AMF hylsa.jpg, Embroidered

(Navy)
(1987–2000) File:OF-5 Överste AMF hylsa02.jpg, Wowen

(2003–present)

Sleeve insignias

Air Force

File:OF-5 Överste FV mäss.jpg,

Mess jacket The mess jacket is a type of formal jacket that ends at the waist. It features either a non-fastening double breast cut or a single-breasted version that fastens.

sleeve insignia for a colonel File:OF-5 Överste FV ärm pre-2003.jpg,

Mess jacket The mess jacket is a type of formal jacket that ends at the waist. It features either a non-fastening double breast cut or a single-breasted version that fastens.

sleeve insignia for a colonel
(–2003) File:OF-5 Överste FV ärmmatta.jpg,

Flight suit A flight suit is a full-body garment, worn while flying aircraft such as military airplanes, gliders and helicopters. These suits are generally made to keep the wearer warm, as well as being practical (plenty of pockets), and durable (includi ...

sleeve insignia for a colonel
(2000–present) File:OF-5 Överste 1987-2000 FV ärmmatta.jpg,

sleeve insignia for a colonel
(1987–2000)

Army

File:4 Överste armén ärm 1906.jpg, Sleeve insignia on uniform m/1906 for a colonel.

Navy (Amphibious Corps)

File:OF-5 Överste AMF arm.jpg, Sleeve insignia on ''innerkavaj m/48'' ("inner jacket m/48") for a colonel.
(2000–present) File:OF-5 Överste 1987-2000 AMF arm.jpg,
(1987–2000)

Hats

File:12 Överste mössa m1923.jpg, Hat (''Mössa m/1923'') for a colonel. File:OF-5 Överste lägermössa m1865-99.png, Camp hat (''Lägermössa m/1865-99'') for a colonel. File:OF-5 Överste lägermössa m1865-99 LG.png, Hat (''Mössa m/1865-99'') for a colonel in Life Guards infantry. File:8 Överste armén hatt m1910-14.jpg, Rank insignia for a colonel on hat (''Hatt m/1910-14'') in the army. File:Hatt m1859 för överste.jpg, Hatt m/1859 for a colonel in Värmland Ranger Corps (''Värmlands fältjägarkår'') File:10 Överste armén mössmärke 1946.jpg, Hat badge (''Mössmärke m/1946'') for a colonel in the army. File:10 Överste armén mössmärke 1940.jpg, Hat badge (''Mössmärke m/1940'') for a colonel in the army. File:8 Överste armén mössmärke 1914.jpg, Hat badge (''Mössmärke m/1914'') for a colonel in the army on fur hat (''pälsmössa m/1909-14'').

References

Notes

Print

* * * *{{cite book , url=http://www.tjelvar.se/pdf/unir_2003.pdf , title=Uniformsreglemente för Försvarsmakten: UniR FM , edition=2003 , year=2003 , publisher=Försvarsmakten , location=Stockholm , language=sv , id={{SELIBR, 9043529 , ref={{harvid, ''Uniformsreglemente'', 2003 Military ranks of the Swedish Army Military ranks of the Swedish Air Force sv:Överste