Western Military Area

Western Military Area (Västra militärområdet, Milo V), originally III Military Area (III. militärområdet) was a Swedish military area, a command of the Swedish Armed Forces that had operational control over Western Sweden, for most time of its existence corresponding to the area covered by the counties of Gothenburg and Bohus, Älvsborg, Skaraborg (all three now joined as Västra Götaland County) and Halland. The headquarters of Milo V were located in Skövde.

History
Milo V was created in 1966 along with five other military areas as part of a reorganisation of the administrative divisions of the Swedish Armed Forces. It can be seen as the successor of III Military Area (III. militärområdet) created in 1942, but that did not have the same tasks as Milo V. The military area consisted of the land covered by the above-mentioned counties. In 1993, the number of military areas of Sweden was decreased to three, and as a consequence of that, Milo V was merged into the Southern Military Area (Milo S).

Units 1989
In peacetime the Western Military Area consisted of the following units, which were training recruits for wartime units:


 * Western Military Area (Milo V), in Skövde
 * Army units:
 * K 3 - Life Regiment Hussars, in Karlsborg
 * Göta Signal Battalion
 * Parachute Jäger Training Battalion
 * Swedish Army Paratroop School
 * Army Intelligence School
 * Armed Forces Survival School
 * P 4/Fo 35 - Skaraborg Regiment / Skaraborg Defense Area, in Skövde
 * I 15/Fo 34 - Älvsborg Regiment / Älvsborg Defense Area, in Borås
 * I 16/Fo 31 - Halland Regiment / Halland Defense Area, in Halmstad
 * I 17 - Bohuslän Regiment, in Uddevalla
 * Lv 6 - Göta Air Defence Regiment, in Gothenburg
 * T 2 - Göta Logistic Regiment, in Skövde
 * Air Force units:
 * E 1 - Attack Group, in Gothenburg, also controls F 15 - Hälsinge Air Force Wing of Milo NN
 * F 6 - Västgöta Air Force Wing, in Karlsborg
 * 61st Attack Squadron, with AJ 37 Viggen attack aircraft
 * 62nd Attack Squadron, with AJ 37 Viggen attack aircraft
 * F 7 - Skaraborg Air Force Wing, in Lidköping
 * 71st Attack Squadron, with AJ 37 Viggen attack aircraft
 * 72nd Attack Squadron, with AJ 37 Viggen attack aircraft
 * 71st Transport Squadron, with 8x C-130H Hercules and 4x Super King Air 200
 * F 14 - Halmstad Air Force Schools, in Halmstad
 * Air Force Officer College
 * Air Force Command and Control School
 * Air Force Technical School
 * Air Force Ground Signal Engineering School
 * Air Force Liaison and Staff Service School
 * Navy units:
 * MKV/Fo 32 - West Coast Naval Command / Gothenburg & Bohus Defense Area, in Gothenburg
 * 12th Helicopter Group, at Säve Airfield with CH-46B Sea Knight anti-submarine and Bell 206B utility helicopters
 * KA 4 - Älvsborg Coastal Artillery Regiment, in Gothenburg
 * Three 75mm Tornpjäs m/57 batteries on Galterö, Marstrand and Stora Kornö islands, with the latter covering the entrance to the Gullmarn Naval Base
 * HSwMS Kalvsund (11) minelayer
 * HSwMS Grundsund (15) minelayer
 * 48th Patrol Boat Division in Gothenburg (part of 4th Surface Attack Flotilla of Milo S), with 4x Hugin-class patrol boats
 * HSwMS Hugin (P151)
 * HSwMS Munin (P152)
 * HSwMS Magne (P153)
 * HSwMS Mode (P1514

In wartime the Western Military Area would have activated the following major land units, as well as a host of smaller units:
 * 3rd Division, in Skövde
 * PB 9 - Skaraborg Brigade, in Skövde, a Type 63M armoured brigade based on the P 4 - Skaraborg Regiment
 * IB 15 - Västgöta Brigade, in Borås, a Type 66M infantry brigade based on the I 15 - Älvsborg Regiment
 * IB 17 - Bohus Brigade, in Uddevalla, a Type 66M infantry brigade based on the I 17 - Bohuslän Regiment
 * IB 45 - Älvsborg Brigade, in Borås, a Type 77 infantry brigade based on the I 15 - Älvsborg Regiment
 * IB 46 - Halland Brigade, in Halmstad, a Type 77 infantry brigade based on the I 16 - Halland Regiment
 * IB 47 - Gothenburg Brigade, in Uddevalla, a Type 77 infantry brigade based on the I 17 - Bohuslän Regiment

Coat of arms
The coat of arms of the Western Military Area Staff 1983–1993. Blazon: "Azur, an erect sword with the area letter (V - West) surrounded by an open chaplet of oak leaves, all or."

Military commanders

 * 1942–1949: Folke Högberg
 * 1949–1950: Sven Ryman
 * 1950–1951: Carl Årmann (acting in 1946)
 * 1951–1955: Sven Colliander
 * 1955–1957: Thord Bonde
 * 1957–1963: Richard Åkerman
 * 1963–1966: Fale Burman
 * 1966–1966: Stig Synnergren
 * 1968–1972: Henrik Lange
 * 1972–1978: Claës Skoglund (leave of absence 1974-1977)
 * 1974–1976: Lennart Ljung (acting)
 * 1976–1980: Nils Personne
 * 1980–1983: Kjell Nordström
 * 1983–1985: Bengt Rasin
 * 1985–1989: Jan Enquist
 * 1989–1993: Bertel Österdahl

Chiefs of Staff

 * 1942–1943: Gustav Åkerman
 * 1944–1946: Fritz-Ivar Virgin
 * 1946–1961: ???
 * 1961–1965: Sture Fornwall
 * 1966–1968: Claës Skoglund
 * 1968–1969: Nils Sköld
 * 1969–1973: Bengt Liljestrand
 * 1973–1977: Bengt Rasin
 * 1977–1979: Robert Lugn
 * 1979–1980: Gustaf Welin
 * 1980–1982: ???
 * 1982–1984: Torsten Engberg
 * 1984–1988: Magnus Olson
 * 1988–1990: Nils Rosenqvist
 * 1990–1993: Svante Kristenson