Major General Anders Karl Oskar Brännström (born 28 February 1957) is a retired

Swedish Army The Swedish Army () is the army, land force of the Swedish Armed Forces of the Kingdom of Sweden. Beginning with its service in 1521, the Swedish Army has been active for more than 500 years. History Svea Life Guards dates back to the year 1 ...

officer. He has served in

Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...

Kosovo Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...

and

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

and been commanding officer of

Jämtland Ranger Regiment Jämtland () is a historical province () in the centre of Sweden in northern Europe. It borders Härjedalen and Medelpad to the south, Ångermanland to the east, Lapland to the north and Trøndelag and Norway to the west. Jämtland covers an a ...

. 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.

Early life

Brännström was born on 28 February 1957 in

Hancock Hancock may refer to: Places Places in the United States * Hancock, Iowa * Hancock, Maine * Hancock, Maryland * Hancock, Massachusetts * Hancock, Michigan * Hancock, Minnesota * Hancock, Missouri * Hancock, New Hampshire ** Hancock (CDP), New H ...

Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...

, USA, the son of Olaus Brännström, a vicar, and his wife Ingrid (née Karlsson). He has two sisters, Kristina (born 1946) and Maria (born 1948). At the time of his birth, his father was a

visiting professor In academia, a visiting scholar, visiting scientist, visiting researcher, visiting fellow, visiting lecturer, or visiting professor is a scholar from an institution who visits a host university to teach, lecture, or perform research on a topic fo ...

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 Tärendö (, ) is a small Urban areas in Sweden, locality in Norrbotten County, Sweden with 208 inhabitants in 2000. It is located at the Kalix River and the River bifurcation, bifurcation Tärendö River. The village was probably founded around ...

, where his father had been a

vicar A vicar (; Latin: '' vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English p ...

since 1951. For five years, he lived in the

manse A manse () is a clergy house inhabited by, or formerly inhabited by, a minister, usually used in the context of Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist and other Christian traditions. Ultimately derived from the Latin ''mansus'', "dwelling", from '' ...

in Tärendö before his father took the position as vicar in

Burträsk Burträsk is a locality situated in Skellefteå Municipality, Västerbotten County, Sweden with 1,575 inhabitants in 2010. It is notable as the only place where Västerbotten cheese is made. ''Burträsk Court District'', or ''Burträsks tingslag ...

in 1962. The Brännström family stayed in Burträsk until 1966 before they moved north again. The new address became Nygatan 12 in

Luleå Luleå ( , , locally ; ; ) is a Cities in Sweden, city on the coast of northern Sweden, and the County Administrative Boards of Sweden, capital of Norrbotten County, the northernmost county in Sweden. Luleå has 48,728 inhabitants in its urban ...

where his father got a new job as

dean Dean may refer to: People * Dean (given name) * Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin * Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk * Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean * Dean Sw ...

and later

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

in the

Diocese of Luleå The Diocese of Luleå () is a Swedish diocese of the Church of Sweden with its Episcopal see in the city of Luleå Luleå ( , , locally ; ; ) is a Cities in Sweden, city on the coast of northern Sweden, and the County Administrative Boards ...

until 1986. It was in Luleå that Brännström started his military career. At the age of 15, he became a

Home Guard Home guard is a title given to various military organizations at various times, with the implication of an emergency or reserve force raised for local defense. The term "home guard" was first officially used in the American Civil War, starting ...

soldier.

Career

He received his commission as an officer on 28 September 1979, after studies at the Royal Military Academy in

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

. The same year he was assigned to

Norrbotten Armoured Battalion The Norrbotten Armoured Battalion (), designation Pbat/I 19 or P 5, is a Swedish Army armoured warfare, armoured battalion, one of the few new formations raised in the 20th century. It is still in active service, and is currently garrisoned in Bo ...

(I 19/P 5), part of

Norrbotten Regiment The Norrbotten Regiment (), designation I 19, is a Swedish Army arctic armoured, light infantry and commando regiment that traces its origins back to the 19th century. The regiment's soldiers were originally recruited from the province of Norrb ...

in Boden, which would become his home regiment for 19 years. In 1981 Brännström underwent the command course of the Swedish Army Paratroop School, and during the 1982–1983 he served as a platoon leader in the Swedish Battalion 81 C in

which was part of the

United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...

(UNFICYP). He was commanding officer of the Ground Operational Section (''Markoperativa sektionen'') within the

Upper Norrland Military District Upper Norrland Military District (, Milo ÖN), originally VI Military District () was a Sweden, Swedish Military district (Sweden), military district, a command of the Swedish Armed Forces that had operational control over Upper Norrland, for mos ...

/ Northern Military District from 1992 to 1995 and of the

(I 5) in

Östersund Östersund (; ) is an Urban areas in Sweden, urban area (Stad (Sweden), city) in Jämtland in northern Sweden. It is the seat of Östersund Municipality and the capital of Jämtland County. Östersund is located at the shores of Sweden's fifth-larg ...

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 The Kosovo Force (KFOR) is a North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO-led international NATO peacekeeping, peacekeeping force and military of Kosovo. KFOR is the third security responder, after the Kosovo Police and the EU Rule of Law (European ...

. After leaving I 5 in Östersund in 2003, Brännström became commanding officer of the Multinational Brigade Centre in Kosovo for a year before being appointed head of the Army Tactical Command in

Uppsala Uppsala ( ; ; archaically spelled ''Upsala'') is the capital of Uppsala County and the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, fourth-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö. It had 177,074 inhabitants in 2019. Loc ...

in 2004. On 17 March 2004 Brännström was brigade commander of the international peace force in

- in the midst of a conflict between

Kosovo Albanians The Albanians of Kosovo (, ), also commonly called Kosovo Albanians, Kosovan Albanians or Kosovars (), constitute the largest ethnic group in Kosovo. Kosovo Albanians belong to the Albanians, ethnic Albanian sub-group of Ghegs, who inhabit the ...

and

Kosovo Serbs Kosovo Serbs form the largest ethnic minority group in Kosovo (5–6%). The precise number of Kosovo Serbs is difficult to determine as they have boycotted national censuses. However, it is estimated that there are about 95,000 of them, nearly ...

. This day reports were received that thousands of Kosovo Albanians were on the verge of wiping out the village of Čaglavica, south of Pristina, with its 1,200 inhabitants. Brännström decided to stop the attackers and within a few hours over 1,000 soldiers from the international peace force were in place to defend the village. The conflict had been going on for a long while, and the Kosovo Serbs had previously tried to kill Kosovo Albanians in a number of villages. But what appeared in Čaglavica was worse than before. Two raised crowds threw stones against each other with the soldiers between themselves. There were iron pipes and firearms. The unrest continued all day and did not calm down until late in the evening when the lynch mob pulled back. A number of people from the crowds died. Brännström's brigade, which included the Swedish contingent KS09, was the only unit whose conduct was subsequently approved of by external observers in the

International Crisis Group The International Crisis Group (ICG; also known as the Crisis Group) is a global non-profit, non-governmental organisation founded in 1995. It is a think tank, used by policymakers and academics, conducting research and analysis on global crises. ...

. 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 when he on the 13 September 2012 was appointed

Inspector of the Army The Inspector of the Army ( or ''InspH'') is the title held by the commander and highest ranking officer of the German Army (unless the Inspector General is an army officer) of the modern-day German Armed Forces or ''Bundeswehr''. The Inspector i ...

. 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. He was replaced by major general

Karl Engelbrektson Generalmajor (Sweden), Major General Karl Lorentz Engelbrekt Engelbrektson (born 12 February 1962) is a retired Swedish Army officer. He completed the Advanced Course at the Swedish Armed Forces Staff College in 1988 and later joined the Värmlan ...

and Brännström was instead appointed head of the Exercise Viking 2018. From the beginning of January 2018, Brännström headed the new Total Defence Department of the Defence Staff until he was fired on 26 January by Supreme Commander, General

Micael Bydén General (Sweden), General Per Micael Bydén (born 13 June 1964) is a retired Swedish Air Force officer. Bydén served as Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces from 2015 to 2024. Prior to that, he served as the Chief of Air Force (Sweden), ...

. The reason why Brännström was removed was, according to Bydén, "a matter of confidence." Brännström had made critical statements about Sweden's lack of defense ability.

Personal life

Brännström is married to Christin and they have three children.

Dates of rank

*1979 –

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

*1982 –

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

*1986 –

Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

*1995 – Lieutenant colonel *1998 –

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

*2003 – Brigadier general *2008 – Major general

Awards and decorations

Swedish

For Zealous and Devoted Service of the Realm ribbon

For Zealous and Devoted Service of the Realm For Zealous and Devoted Service of the Realm () is a reward medal awarded to one who has been a Swedish State employee for 30 years and has shown "zealous and devoted service". As an alternative to the medal one can choose a wristwatch or a crysta ...

Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences The Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences () is one of the Royal Academies in Sweden and was founded on 12 November 1796 by Gustaf Wilhelm af Tibell. The academy is an independent organization and a forum for military (army and air force) and de ...

Medal of Reward in gold (''Kungl. Krigsvetenskapsakademiens belöningsmedalj i guld'') * Swedish Armed Forces Conscript Medal * FMintBM bar - no 2

Swedish Armed Forces International Service Medal The Swedish Armed Forces International Service Medal (, FMintBM) is a Swedish reward medal instituted by the Swedish Armed Forces in 1991. The medal regulations has been revised twice, in 1994 and 2012. The medal is awarded after at least 30 days ...

* Northern Military District Staff Commemorative Medal in silver (''Norra militärområdesstabens minnesmedalj i silver'', MiloNMSM) *

and Östersund Garrison Commemorative Medal in silver (''Jämtlands fältjägarremente och Östersunds garnisons minnesmedalj i silver'', JämtfältjägregMSM) * The_Nordic_Blue_Berets_Medal_of_Honour_ribbon

The_Nordic_Blue_Berets_Medal_of_Honour_ribbon

The Nordic Blue Beret Medal of Merit (''Blå barettförtjänstmedaljen'', BbarettBM) *

Medaljen till minne av Nobels fredspris till FNs fredsbevarande styrkor - NobelFNMSM1

Commemorative Medal of the Nobel Prize to the UN Peacekeeping Forces (''Medaljen till minne av Nobels fredspris till FNs fredsbevarande styrkor'', NobelFNSMM) * Swedish Reserve Officers Federation Merit Badge (''Förbundet Sveriges Reservofficerares förtjänsttecken'')

Foreign

United Nations Medal A United Nations Medal is an international decoration awarded by the United Nations (UN) to the various world countries members for participation in joint international military and police operations such as peacekeeping, humanitarian efforts, a ...

( UNFICYP,

) *

NATO Meritorious Service Medal The NATO Medal is an international military decoration which is awarded to various militaries of the world under the authority of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). It is manufactured by Eekelers-Centini Intl, of Hemiksem, Belgium. Ba ...

NATO Medal The NATO Medal is an international military decoration which is awarded to various militaries of the world under the authority of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). It is manufactured by Eekelers-Centini Intl, of Hemiksem, Belgium. Ba ...

for Kosovo (KFOR) * NATO_Medal_non-article-5_Balkans_ribbon_bar

NATO Non-Article 5 medal for the Balkans * Cavaliere_SSML_BAR

Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus The Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus () (abbreviated OSSML) is a Roman Catholic dynastic order of knighthood bestowed by the royal House of Savoy. It is the second-oldest order of knighthood in the world, tracing its lineage to AD 1098, a ...

Courses

Brännström's courses: *Reserve Components National Security Course (

National Defense University National Defence (or Defense) University (or College) may refer to: :''Alphabetical by country'' University * Marshal Fahim National Defense University, Afghanistan * National Defense University (Azerbaijan) * People's Liberation Army National Defe ...

, Arlington, Virginia, USA) *Partnership for Peace Staff Officers Course (SWEDINT, Almnäs, Sweden) *International Commanding Officers Course (Armed Forces International Centre, Sessvollmoen, Norway) *Integrated PfP OSCE Course (

NATO Defense College NATO Defense College (NDC) is the international military college for NATO, North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries. It is located in Rome, Italy. History The idea of a NATO Defense College originated with General Dwight D. Eisenhower, t ...

, Rome, Italy) *Advanced Management Course (Swedish Institute of Management, Sigtuna, Sweden)

Honours

*Vice chairman of the Swedish Association for Christian Officers *Member of the

*Honorary member of

Norrlands nation Norrlands nation is a student society and the largest of thirteen List of Uppsala University nations, nations at Uppsala University. It mainly recruits its members from the province of Norrland, which is the northernmost part of Sweden. As of 20 ...

* wedishPeacekeeper of the Year (2005)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brannström, Anders 1957 births Living people Swedish Army major generals Chiefs of Army (Sweden) People from Hancock, Michigan Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences People of the Kosovo War