Lars-Erik Englund

Lars-Erik Englund (23 March 1934 – 19 October 2010) was a Swedish Air Force lieutenant general. His senior appointments included military commander of the Upper Norrland Military Area (Milo ÖN) from 1986 to 1988 and Chief of the Air Force/Chief of Air Force Staff from 1988 to 1994.

Career
Englund was born in Orsa, the son of Gunnar and his wife Berta Englund. His career in the Swedish Air Force began in 1952 with basic pilot training which led to employment as a pilot in 1953. Englund attended the Swedish Armed Forces School for Secondary Education (Försvarets läroverk) from which he graduated in 1957. Englund became an officer the following year and was commissioned at F 10 Ängelholm. He would later belong to the exclusive group in the Swedish Air Force called TTT, Tusen Timmar Tunnan ("Thousand Hours [in the] Barrel"), after having logged 1,512 flight hours in the Saab 29 Tunnan. Englund's career continued with further education with flight and staff training. He then underwent the Military Academy's higher staff course from 1966 to 1968. However, from his mid 30s, Englund suffered from Bechterew's disease, which later forced him to abstain from planes with ejection seat for safety reasons.

Englund served in the Defence Staff from 1968 to 1973 and in the Ministry of Defence from 1975 to 1977. In all these positions, he worked with study and planning issues. He then served in the Air Staff from 1977 to 1981 and was promoted to colonel in 1979. The year before, in 1978, he attended the Swedish National Defence College. Englund was acting sector wing commander and wing commander of F 16 Uppsala (F 16/Se M) from 1981 to 1983. Englund became a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences, Section III, Air Warfare Studies, in 1983. In 1983 he was also promoted to major general and was appointed chief of staff of the Eastern Military Area (Milo Ö). Englund was then military commander of the Upper Norrland Military Area (Milo ÖN) from 1986 to 1988. He was then Chief of the Air Force from 1 October 1988 to 30 June 1994 (when the new Swedish Armed Forces was established) and then Chief of Air Force Staff from 1 July to 30 September 1994.

After retirement, he was advisor both in the defense industry and the academic world, including at Linköping University, where he also was a board member. Englund was also a board member of Svenska Dagbladet Foundation (Stiftelsen Svenska Dagbladet). On 1 January 1996, Englund was ordered to assist the Ministry of Defense to investigate the issue of continuing air traffic education in Sweden.

Personal life
In 1954, Englund married Gunn Wendel (died in 1981). He married a second time in 1986 with Birgitta Mårdstam (born 1940). He had three children.

Dates of rank

 * 19?? – Fänrik
 * 19?? – Lieutenant
 * 19?? – Captain
 * 1971 – Major
 * 1972 – Lieutenant Colonel
 * 1979 – Colonel
 * 1983 – Major General
 * 19?? – Lieutenant General

Awards and decorations

 * Commander of the Legion of Merit
 * Commander of the National Order of Merit
 * Commander First Class of the Order of the White Rose of Finland