Chief of Home Guard

The Chief of Home Guard,^[1] also called the Chief of the National Swedish Home Guard^[2] (Swedish: Rikshemvärnschefen, RiksHvC) is the Swedish Home Guard chief representative. The chief reports to the Chief of Armed Forces Training & Procurement. The Home Guard function and its development are the responsibility of the Chief of Home Guard. As support in their work at the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters the Chief of Home Guard has the staff of the Home Guard Department (Rikshemvärnsavdelningen).^[3] The Chief of Home Guard with staff (the Home Guard Department, PROD RIKSHV) is part of the Training & Procurement Staff.

Chief of Home Guard
Rikshemvärnschefen
Coat of arms.
Incumbent Major general Laura Swaan Wrede since 1 October 2022
Swedish Armed Forces
Reports to	Chief of Armed Forces Training & Procurement
Seat	Lidingövägen 24, Stockholm, Sweden
Nominator	Minister for Defence
Appointer	The Government
Formation	1 July 1940
First holder	Gustaf Petri

Tasks

The Chief of Home Guard leads the implementation of the National Home Guard Combat School and the training units' mission activities relating to the Home Guard's operations and inspects the Home Guard units. The Chief of Home Guard is also the chairman of the Home Guard Council (Rikshemvärnsrådet), the central co-influence body of the Home Guard; a council that is chosen at the National Home Guard Council (Rikshemvärnstinget) every other year.^[3]

Since 30 January 2020, the following units are subordinated to the Chief of Home Guard: National Home Guard Combat School, Northern Military Region, Central Military Region, Western Military Region, Southern Military Region.^[4]

Coat of arms

The coat of arms of the National Home Guard Staff (Rikshemvärnsstaben, Rikshvst) 1994–1948, National Home Guard Center (Rikshemvärnscentrum, RiksHvC) 1994–2000, and the Chief of Home Guard with the Home Guard Department within the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters (Rikshemvärnschefen med rikshemvärnsavdelningen inom HKV) 2000–present. Blazon: "Azure, the badge of the Home Guard, three crowns, placed two and one, above the letter H, all or. The shield surmounted two swords in saltire or".^[5]

Chiefs

Chiefs of Home Guard

No.	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Ref.
Chief of Home Guard (Hemvärnschef)
1		Petri, GustafMajor general[a] Gustaf Petri (1885–1964)	1 July 1940	31 March 1947	6 years, 273 days	[7]
2		Allstrin, Sven ErikColonel Sven Erik Allstrin (1891–1963)	1 April 1947	30 June 1948	1 year, 90 days	[7]
Chief of the National Swedish Home Guard (Rikshemvärnschef)
2		Allstrin, Sven ErikMajor general[b] Sven Erik Allstrin (1891–1963)	1 July 1948	31 March 1952	3 years, 274 days	[7]
3		Brinck, GunnarMajor general[c] Gunnar Brinck (1895–1972)	1 April 1952	30 September 1955	3 years, 182 days	[7]
4		Kellin, PerMajor general[d] Per Kellin (1903–1973)	1 October 1955	30 September 1968	12 years, 365 days	[7]
5		Brandberg, Karl GustafMajor general Karl Gustaf Brandberg (1905–1997)	1 October 1968	30 September 1971	2 years, 364 days	[7]
6		Löwenhielm, FredrikMajor general Fredrik Löwenhielm (1916–2008)	1 October 1971	31 December 1980	9 years, 91 days	[7]
7		Holm, Karl EricLieutenant general Karl Eric Holm (1919–2016)	1 January 1981	30 September 1983	2 years, 272 days	[7]
8		Lugn, RobertMajor general Robert Lugn (1923–2016)	1 October 1983	1 March 1988	4 years, 152 days	[7]
9		Wahlgren, Lars-ErikLieutenant general Lars-Eric Wahlgren (1929–1999)	1 April 1988	30 September 1988	182 days	[7]
–		Lahti, ReinholdMajor general Reinhold Lahti (1930–2002) Acting	1 July 1988	September 1991	2–3 years	[9][10]
10		Lahti, ReinholdMajor general Reinhold Lahti (1930–2002)	September 1991	31 March 1994	2–3 years	[10][7]
11		Borgén, Jan-OlofMajor general Jan-Olof Borgén (born 1937)	1 April 1994	30 September 1997	3 years, 182 days	[7]
12		Sandqvist, AlfMajor general Alf Sandqvist (born 1945)	1 October 1997	30 June 2000	2 years, 273 days	[7]
13		Welff, MatsMajor general Mats Welff (born 1947)	1 July 2000	30 September 2002	2 years, 91 days	[7]
14		Lindström, AndersMajor general Anders Lindström (born 1955)	1 October 2002	30 June 2005	2 years, 272 days	[7]
15		Ekenberg, RolandMajor general[e] Roland Ekenberg (born 1957)	1 July 2005	30 August 2018	13 years, 61 days	[7]
16		Sandborg, StefanMajor general Stefan Sandborg (born 1970)	1 September 2018	30 September 2022	4 years, 29 days	[12]
17		Swaan Wrede, LauraMajor general Laura Swaan Wrede (born 1964)	1 October 2022	Incumbent	2 years, 308 days	[13]

Deputy Chiefs of Home Guard

Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Ref.
	Schéele, Åke vonColonel Åke von Schéele (1925–2020)	1980	1986	5–6 years	[14]
	Nilsson, RogerColonel Roger Nilsson (born ?)	August 2018		6–7 years	[15]

Footnotes

1. Petri was colonel when taking office on 1 July 1940 and was promoted to major general on 1 January 1946 while still in office.^[6]
2. Allstrin was colonel when taking office on 1 April 1947 and was promoted to major general in 1949 while still in office.
3. Brinck was colonel when taking office on 1 April 1952 and was promoted to major general in 1954 while still in office.
4. Kellin was colonel when taking office on 1 October 1955 and was promoted to major general on 1 October 1959 while still in office.^[8]
5. Ekenberg was brigadier general when taking office on 1 July 2005 and was promoted to major general on 31 May 2017 while still in office.^[11]