Carl-Johan Edström
{{Short description|Swedish Air Force officer}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix =
| name = Carl-Johan Edström
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| image = Carl-Johan Edström, Lieutenant General (generallöjtnant) and Chief of Defense Staff for the Armed Forces of Sweden, in 2025 (cropped).jpg
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| caption = Edström in 2025
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| nickname = "Klute" (call sign)
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1967|5|21|df=y}}
| birth_place = Nora, Sweden
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| allegiance = Sweden
| branch = Swedish Air Force
| serviceyears = 1989–present
| rank = Lieutenant general
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| commands = {{bulleted list|Norrbotten Wing|Air Component Command|Deputy Chief of Air Force|Chief of Air Force|Chief of Joint Operations|Commandant General in Stockholm|Chief of the Defence Staff}}
| battles = Libyan Civil War (Operation Unified Protector)
Resolute Support Mission (TAAC – Air)
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Lieutenant General Carl-Johan Edström (born 21 May 1967) is a Swedish Air Force officer. He currently serves as Chief of the Defence Staff since 1 October 2024. Prior to that Edström served as Chief of Joint Operations from 2023 to 2024, and Chief of Air Force from 2019 to 2022.
Early life
Edström was born on 21 May 1967 in Nora, Sweden,{{cite book |title=Sveriges befolkning 1980 |year=2004 |publisher=Sveriges släktforskarförb. |location=Stockholm |language=sv |isbn=9187676370 |id={{LIBRIS|9632925}}}} and was raised in Klutmark, a village 10 kilometers west of Skellefteå. Carl-Johan Edström is twin brother of Swedish Air Force colonel Carl-Fredrik Edström.{{cite news |url=https://pt.se/bli-prenumerant/artikel/rmxqy1nj |newspaper=Piteå-Tidningen |title=Det här är nya chefen för Norrbottens flygflottilj |trans-title=This is the new commander of Norrbotten Wing |date=10 August 2021 |access-date=28 March 2022 |language=sv |url-access=subscription}} Carl-Johan Edström started his military career as platoon leader in the Norrland Brigade in Västerbotten Regiment (I 20) in Umeå in 1988.{{cite web |url=https://www.forsvarsmakten.se/sv/aktuellt/2019/09/ny-flygvapenchef-utsedd/ |publisher=Swedish Armed Forces |title=Ny flygvapenchef utsedd |first=Louise |last=Levin |date=4 September 2019 |access-date=5 September 2019 |language=sv}}
Career
Edström trained as a pilot at the Swedish Air Force Flying School in Ljungbyhed and was commissioned as an officer in 1989 with the rank of second lieutenant{{cite book |title=Försvarsmaktens rulla. 1995 |year=1995 |publisher=Högkvarteret, Försvarsmakten |location=Stockholm |language=sv |id={{LIBRIS|4343056}} |page=565}} in Norrbotten Wing. There he was promoted to lieutenant in 1995 and to captain in 1998.{{cite book |title=Försvarsmaktens rulla. 1999 |year=1999 |publisher=Högkvarteret, Försvarsmakten |location=Stockholm |language=sv |id={{LIBRIS|4343055}} |page=564}} In 1996, Edström served as squad leader in the 212th Fighter Squadron (212. stridsflygdivisionen).{{cite web |url=https://www.forsvarsmakten.se/sv/aktuellt/2015/01/tillbaka-till-flottiljen-som-chef/ |publisher=Swedish Armed Forces |title=Tillbaka till flottiljen – som chef |first=Louise |last=Levin |date=9 January 2015 |access-date=5 September 2019 |language=sv}} During the Swedish flight operation over Libya in 2011, he was operations commander for the Swedish flight contingent FL02, part of the Operation Unified Protector. In Afghanistan, he served as senior adviser and planning manager for Train Advise Assist Command – Air (TAAC – Air). Edström served as a staff officer in the Policy and Plans Department in the Defence Staff (Ledningsstabens inriktningsavdelning, LEDS INRI) until he on 16 January 2015 took command as wing commander of Norrbotten Wing and commander of Luleå Garrison.
In addition to Swedish officer training, in 2014 he received a master's degree in strategy from the Air War College in the USA. He attended a Higher Management Course at the Swedish Defence University in 2015 and at Solbacka in 2016 as well the Common Security and Defence Policy High Level Course at the European Security and Defence College in Brussels from 2016 to 2017.{{cite web |url=https://se.linkedin.com/in/carl-johan-edstr%C3%B6m-207ab746 |publisher=LinkedIn |title=Carl-Johan Edström |access-date=23 April 2021 |language=sv}} From the re-establishment of the Air Staff on 1 January 2019, Edström served as Deputy Chief of Air Force until 4 September 2019 when he was appointed Chief of Air Force, taking office on 1 October 2019. He was promoted to major general at the same date.
On 30 June 2022, the Swedish government appointed Edström lieutenant general and chief of the new Joint Operations Unit from 1 January 2023, succeeding Lieutenant General Michael Claesson as Chief of Joint Operations.{{cite web |url=https://www.regeringen.se/artiklar/2022/06/ny-organisation-i-forsvarsmaktens-hogkvarter-samt-utnamningar/ |publisher=Government Offices of Sweden |title=Ny organisation i Försvarsmaktens högkvarter samt utnämningar |date=30 June 2022 |access-date=29 August 2022 |language=sv}} From 15 December 2022 to 31 December 2022, Edström was placed at the disposal of the Chief of Joint Operations.{{cite journal |url=https://www.forsvarsmakten.se/siteassets/6-aktuellt/forsvarets-forum/2022/forum_2206_webb_lowres.pdf |journal=Försvarets forum: Personaltidning för fast anställda och reservofficerare i svenska försvarsmakten |title=PÅ NY POST |year=2022 |publisher=Försvarets forum |number=6 |location=Stockholm |language=sv |id={{SELIBR|4109339}} |page=9}} On 1 October 2024, he succeeded Lieutenant General Michael Claesson as Chief of the Defence Staff.{{cite press release |url=https://www.regeringen.se/pressmeddelanden/2024/09/regeringen-placerar-generallojtnant-carl-johan-edstrom-som-ny-chef-for-forsvarsstaben/ |publisher=Ministry of Defence |title=Regeringen placerar generallöjtnant Carl-Johan Edström som ny chef för försvarsstaben |trans-title=The government appoints Lieutenant General Carl-Johan Edström as the new Chief of the Defence Staff |date=19 September 2024 |accessdate=27 September 2024 |language=sv}}
Personal life
Dates of rank
- 1989 – Second lieutenant
- 1995 – Lieutenant
- 1998 – Captain
- 2001 – Major
- 2006 – Lieutenant colonel
- 16 January 2015 – Colonel
- 1 October 2018 – Brigadier general
- 1 October 2019 – Major general
- 1 January 2023 – Lieutenant general
Awards and decorations
=Swedish=
- 50x50px {{flagicon|Sweden}} For Zealous and Devoted Service of the Realm
- 50px {{flagicon|Sweden}} Swedish Armed Forces Conscript Medal
- 50x50px {{flagicon|Sweden}} Swedish Armed Forces International Service Medal
- 50x50px {{flagicon|Sweden}} Home Guard Silver Medal (5 September 2022){{Cite instagram |author=Carl-Johan Edström |last=Edström |first=Carl-Johan |author-link=Chief of Air Force (Sweden) |user=flygvapenchefen |postid=CiHV4UCN8OU |date=5 September 2022 |title=Det var med stor glädje, stolthet och ödmjukhet som jag under helgen förlänades Rikshemvärnschefens silvermedalj. |script-title= |trans-title= |language=sv |location= |access-date=12 September 2022 |link= |url-status= |archive-url= |archive-date= |ref=}}
- 50px {{flagicon|Sweden}} Swedish Air Force Volunteers Association Merit Badge
- 50x50px {{flagicon|Sweden}} Norrbotten Wing Medal of Merit (Norrbottens flygflottiljs (F 21) förtjänstmedalj, NorrbffljGM)
=Foreign=
- 50x50px {{flagicon|Brazil}} Grand Officer of the Order of Aeronautical Merit (22 October 2020){{cite web |url=https://www.aer.mil.br/noticias/imprime/36481/HOMENAGEM%20-%20Comandante%20da%20For%C3%A7a%20A%C3%A9rea%20da%20Su%C3%A9cia%20%C3%A9%20condecorado%20com%20a%20Ordem%20do%20M%C3%A9rito%20Aeron%C3%A1utico |title=Comandante da Força Aérea da Suécia é condecorado com a Ordem do Mérito Aeronáutico |publisher=Brazilian Air Force |date=2020-10-23 |accessdate=2020-10-26 |language=pt |archive-date=2020-10-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029180810/https://www.aer.mil.br/noticias/imprime/36481/HOMENAGEM%20-%20Comandante%20da%20For%C3%A7a%20A%C3%A9rea%20da%20Su%C3%A9cia%20%C3%A9%20condecorado%20com%20a%20Ordem%20do%20M%C3%A9rito%20Aeron%C3%A1utico |url-status=dead }}
- 50x50px {{flagicon|USA}} Bronze Star Medal (24 October 2019){{cite web |url=https://www.forsvarsmakten.se/sv/aktuellt/2019/10/flygvapenchefen-mottog-arofylld-amerikansk-medalj/ |publisher=Swedish Armed Forces |title=Flygvapenchefen mottog ärofylld amerikansk medalj |first=Louise |last=Levin |date=24 October 2019 |accessdate=27 January 2020 |language=sv}}
- 50x50px {{flagicon|NATO}} NATO Non-Article 5 medal for Operation Unified Protector (2011)
- 50x50px {{flagicon|NATO}} NATO Non-Article 5 medal for Operation Resolute Support (2018)
References
{{Reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{succession box
| title = Norrbotten Wing
| years = 2015–2018
| before = Fredrik Bergman
| after = Claes Isoz
}}
{{succession box
| title = Air Component Command
| years = 2018–2019
| before = Gabor Nagy
| after = None
}}
{{succession box
| title = Deputy Chief of Air Force
| years = 2019–2019
| before = None
| after = Anders Persson
}}
{{succession box
| title = Chief of Air Force
| years = 2019–2022
| before = Mats Helgesson
| after = Jonas Wikman
}}
{{succession box
| title = Chief of Joint Operations
| years = 2023–2024
| before = Michael Claesson
| after = Ewa Skoog Haslum
}}
{{succession box
| title = Commandant General in Stockholm
| years = 2024–present
| before = Michael Claesson
| after = Incumbent
}}
{{succession box
| title = Chief of the Defence Staff
| years = 2024–present
| before = Michael Claesson
| after = Incumbent
}}
{{s-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Edstrom, Carl-Johan}}
Category:Swedish Air Force lieutenant generals
Category:Chiefs of the Defence Staff (Sweden)
Category:People from Nora Municipality