Laura Swaan Wrede

Laura Swaan Wrede
Swaan Wrede in 2022.
Birth nameLaura Maria Swaan
Born (1964-08-17) 17 August 1964 (age 61)
AllegianceSweden
BranchSwedish Army
Service years1987–present
RankMajor General
Commands
ConflictsLebanese Civil War (UNIFIL)
Yugoslav Wars (UNPROFOR)

Major General Laura Maria Swaan Wrede, née Swaan (born 16 August 1964) is a Swedish Army officer. She served as the Chief of Home Guard between 2022 and 2026. She previously served as regimental commander of the Life Guards between 2017 and 2020 (she was the first female commander of the Life Guards)[1] and as the Deputy Chief of Army from 2020 to 2022.

Early life

Swaan Wrede was born on 16 August 1964. She moved to Målilla, Kalmar County, Sweden at the age of 6 and attended school in Vimmerby.[2] Her father was self-employed, and her mother worked in finance.[3] Her sister is an officer, and several of her female relatives have a military background. Her grandmother’s sister served at the front during both the Winter War and the Continuation War in Finland. Her grandmother and mother were born in Karelia.[4]

At the age of twelve, Swaan Wrede decided that she wanted to become an officer, though she has stated that she is unsure where the idea originated. When it came time for her school work experience (prao), she was informed by her guidance counselor that "the military does not accept girls." Unwilling to accept this, Wrede contacted the Småland Regiment (I 12) in Eksjö on her own initiative. Lieutenant Colonel Inge Werner, who was considered forward-thinking for his time, took her request seriously and invited her to spend a few nights at the regiment. She was accommodated in the infirmary, and it was during this visit in 1980—when women were not yet permitted to perform compulsory military service—that her interest in a military career was likely established.[4] The experience strengthened her determination, and she subsequently joined the Swedish Women's Voluntary Defence Organization and the Swedish Voluntary Motorcycle Corps (Frivilliga Motorcykelkåren, FMCK). When the Swedish Armed Forces later opened recruitment to women, Swaan Wrede applied to the army and was accepted as one of the first female recruits. She began her service at the age of eighteen and has remained in the military since then.[4]

Wrede completed her military training at the Luleå Anti-Aircraft Regiment (Lv 7) in Luleå,[5] where she specialized in air defense operations and trained to operate a range of weapons systems, including the Bofors 40 mm L/60 gun, the RBS 70, and the MIM-23 Hawk.[6]

Career

Swaan Wrede was commissioned as an officer in the Swedish Army in 1987.[7] She was the first woman in the Swedish Armed Forces to receive a scholarship from the Federation of Swedish Finnish Volunteers (Förbundet svenska finlandsfrivilliga) after completing officer training at the Military Academy Karlberg. In the early 1990s, she served in the Scanian Anti-Aircraft Corps (Lv 4) in Ystad.[8]

Swaan Wrede has been in charge of several units throughout her career, mainly at the Life Guards. She has also served several international operations outside Swedish territory, including as a UN observer in the Middle East (UNTSO). She has also served in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and Bosnia (UNPROFOR),[9] and has been involved in international operations in Mali, Somalia, Afghanistan and more.[6] From 2008 Swaan Wrede served as ADC to Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden.[10]

On 14 December 2014, Swaan Wrede was promoted to colonel and appointed head of department in the Land Component Command (INSS ATS) at the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters in Stockholm.[11] On 1 November 2017, she assumed the position of regimental commander of the Life Guards,[12] and thus became the first woman regimental commander in Sweden.[1]

She was appointed Deputy Chief of Army on 1 April 2020 and promoted to brigadier general.[13] The Swedish Armed Forces terminated Swaan Wrede's appointment as ADC to Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden from 1 January 2021.[14]

On 1 October 2022, Swaan Wrede assumed the position of Chief of Home Guard and was simultaneously promoted to major general.[15] She held this position until 8 January 2026 when she was succeeded by Major General Mattias Ardin [sv].[16]

Dates of rank

Awards and decorations

Swedish

Foreign

References

  1. ^ a b Gabestad, Annika (8 November 2017). "Ett historiskt ögonblick" (in Swedish). Swedish Armed Forces. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  2. ^ Mathiasson, Ossian (20 May 2025). "Toppmilitärens klara besked: "Vi förbereder oss för väpnat angrepp"" [Top military commander's clear message: "We are preparing for armed attack"]. Dagens Vimmerby (in Swedish). Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  3. ^ Bratt, Stefan, ed. (2022). "Först inom luftvärnet att svara ställföreträdande arméchef" [First in the Air Defence Corps to be Deputy Army Chief]. Artilleri & luftvärn: artilleri-tidskrift (in Swedish) (3). Halmstad: Artilleri- och Luftvärnsklubben: 32–35. ISSN 004-3788. SELIBR 22136789. Retrieved 20 October 2025 – via Issuu. {{cite journal}}: Check |issn= value (help)
  4. ^ a b c Wrethov, Elin (2022-11-19). "Hon tar täten i en orolig tid" [She takes the lead in a troubled time]. Lokaltidningen (in Swedish). Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  5. ^ Gummesson, Jonas (2018-02-24). "Hon är Livgardets första kvinnliga chef – på 497 år". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  6. ^ a b Gummesson, Jonas (24 February 2018). "Livgardets chef vill att alla ska göra värnplikt". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). p. 24. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  7. ^ Swaan Wrede, Laura (2005-08-04). "KrV C:3 "krigsvetenskap,C-UPPSATS"" (in Swedish). Swedish Defence University. p. 5. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  8. ^ "Kvinnlig officer på Finlandsbesök". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). 9 December 1990. p. 23. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  9. ^ Swaan Wrede, Laura (24 October 2021). "Den 24 oktober är FN-dagen[...]" (in Swedish). Swedish Army. Retrieved 16 March 2022 – via Facebook.
  10. ^ Sandberg, Mattias; Petersson, Claes (21 September 2011). "Militärerna tar hand om gåvor & blommor". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  11. ^ "PÅ NY POST" (PDF). Försvarets forum: personaltidning för fast anställda och reservofficerare i svenska försvarsmakten (in Swedish) (1). Stockholm: Försvarets forum: 9. 2015. SELIBR 4109339.
  12. ^ "PÅ NY POST" (PDF). Försvarets forum: personaltidning för fast anställda och reservofficerare i svenska försvarsmakten (in Swedish) (5). Stockholm: Försvarets forum: 15. 2017. SELIBR 4109339.
  13. ^ "PÅ NY POST" (PDF). Försvarets forum: personaltidning för fast anställda och reservofficerare i svenska försvarsmakten (in Swedish) (1). Stockholm: Försvarets forum: 8. 2020. SELIBR 4109339.
  14. ^ "PÅ NY POST" (PDF). Försvarets forum: personaltidning för fast anställda och reservofficerare i svenska försvarsmakten (in Swedish) (5). Stockholm: Försvarets forum: 8. 2020. SELIBR 4109339.
  15. ^ "PÅ NY POST" (PDF). Försvarets forum: Personaltidning för fast anställda och reservofficerare i svenska försvarsmakten (in Swedish) (5). Stockholm: Försvarets forum: 9. 2022. SELIBR 4109339.
  16. ^ "Mattias Ardin ny rikshemvärnschef" (in Swedish). Swedish Armed Forces. 17 December 2025. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
  17. ^ "Sök ordens- och medaljförläningar" (in Swedish). Royal Court of Sweden. Archived from the original on 21 November 2021. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  18. ^ "Utdelade medaljer och plaketter under året" (PDF). Hemvärnsnytt (in Swedish) (4). Stockholm: Livgardesgruppens hemvärnsråd/fo 44 hemvärnsråd: 5. 2019. SELIBR 18367957.
  19. ^ Matikkala, Antti (2017). Suomen Valkoisen Ruusun ja Suomen Leijonan ritarikunnat [The Orders of the White Rose of Finland and the Lion of Finland] (in Finnish). Helsinki: Edita. p. 422. ISBN 978-951-37-7005-1.
  20. ^ "Skandinaviske Heimevernssjefer har akkurat avsluttet to gode og produktive dager" [Scandinavian Home Guard Chiefs have just finished two good and productive days]. Command Team Norwegian Home Guard. 17 June 2025. Retrieved 17 June 2025 – via Facebook. Jeg fikk også gleden av å tildele min gode venn og kollega, Generalmajor Laura Swaan Wrede, Heimevernets fortjenstmedalje [I also had the pleasure of awarding my good friend and colleague, Major General Laura Swaan Wrede, the Home Guard Medal of Merit.]
allikas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Swaan_Wrede