Michael Claesson

Claesson was born on 1 March 1965 in Jönköping and grew up in Bankeryd, where he lived until he commenced his military service in 1984. From 1 August 1986, Claesson served as an instructor, platoon leader and battalion staff member of a tank company and an armored battalion respectively in the Scanian Dragoon Regiment (P 2) in Hässleholm. He also did two years as a teacher at the company management course (KHS HK) at the Swedish Armoured Troops Combat School (Pansartruppernas stridsskola, PS) in Skövde. He was commissioned as an officer in 1987 and was promoted to second lieutenant. ==Career==

Claesson attended the Military Academy Karlberg's general course in Stockholm from 1988 to 1989 when he was promoted to lieutenant. He also attended the higher course from 1990 to 1991 when he was promoted to captain, and the Tactical Course for the Army (Taktisk kurs för Armén, TAK A) at the Swedish National Defence College in Stockholm from 1994 to 1995. Promoted to major in 1995, Claesson served between 1 July 1995 to 31 January 1997 as company commander and deputy company commander of the 83rd Staff Company and the 86th Tank Company in the Scanian Dragoon Regiment in Hässleholm. He was then a student at the German Armed Forces Language Agency (Bundessprachenamt, BSprA) in Hürth, Germany from 1 February 1997 to 31 August 1997. He was then the first Swedish student in Germany's national general staff training at the Bundeswehr Command and Staff College in Hamburg, Germany from 1 September 1997 to 30 September 1999. Also on 10 September 2020, Claesson assumed the position of Commandant General in Stockholm. On 30 June 2022, the Swedish government appointed Claesson as Chief of the Defence Staff in the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters from 1 January 2023. The then Chief of Air Force, Major General Carl-Johan Edström succeeded Claesson as Chief of Joint Operations as commander of the new Unit for Joint Operations. Edström was also promoted to lieutenant general. On 7 June 2024, Claesson was appointed general and Chief of Defence, and took office on 1 October 2024 after a formal handover ceremony at Karlberg Palace. ==Personal life==

In 1988, he married Åsa, a nurse, with whom he has three children. ==Dates of rank==

• 1987-09-01 – Second lieutenant • 1989-07-01 – Lieutenant • 1991-06-01 – Captain • 1995-07-01 – Major • 2001-04-01 – Lieutenant colonel • 2008-03-03 – Colonel (brevet colonel from 1 August 2007) • 2013-06-24 – Brigadier general • 2018-10-01 – Major general • 2020-09-10 – Lieutenant general • 2024-10-01 – General ==Awards and decorations==

Swedish • King Carl XVI Gustaf's Jubilee Commemorative Medal IV (2023) • For Zealous and Devoted Service of the Realm • Scanian Dragoon Regiment Commemorative Medal 1 • Scanian Dragoon Regiment Commemorative Medal 2 Foreign • Commander 1st Class of the Order of the White Rose of Finland (May 2022) • Norwegian Armed Forces Medal for International Operations (May 2013) • Badge of Honour of the Bundeswehr in Silver (April 2007) • Cross for the Four Day Marches • NATO Medal, KFOR, Kosovo (April 2001) • NATO Medal, ISAF, Afghanistan (March 2013) ==Honours==

• Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences, Department I, Land Warfare Studies (2010) • Member of the Folke Bernadotte Academy's advisory council (2016) • Head of the Kungafonden ("The King's Fund") ==Footnotes==