Maj. Gen. Karl Engelbrektson
Maj. Gen. Karl Engelbrektson
Chief of Staff, Swedish Army
Engelbrektson was born in Falkenberg, Halland, Sweden. He started his career as a conscript at Bohuslän Regiment in 1981 and reached the rank of Fänrik, (Second Lieutenant) in 1984. In 1985 his left hand was severely injured in an accident involving explosives. He graduated from the Swedish National Defence College in 1996 and went into the Military Intelligence and Security Service (MUST). He soon transferred to the Ministry of Defence, where he worked with the issues of military co-operation within the European Union.
In 1998 he undertook studies in Political Sciences in Geneva, Switzerland. In 2001 he was appointed Vice Acting Chief for the Gotland Military District. In 2004 Engelbrektson became Acting Commander for the Swedish battalion in Kosovo and was in 2005 appointed co-ordinator at the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters, working with an eventual Swedish involvement in an EU-based battle group.
He served as the Force Commander for the Nordic Battlegroup from 2006 to 2010, January 2010 – August 2010: Military Advisor European Union and NATO Policy, Swedish Ministry of Defence and from September 2010 as Military Representative to the European Union and NATO, Permanent Representation of Sweden to the European Union. Engelbrektson was appointed Chief of Army starting from 1 June 2016.