Carl-Johan Edström


Carl-Johan Edström is a Swedish Air Force officer. He currently serves as Chief of Air Force.

Career

Edström was born on 21 May 1967 in Nora, Sweden, and was raised in Klutmark, a village 10 kilometers west of Skellefteå. Edström started his military career as platoon leader in the Norrland Brigade in Västerbotten Regiment in Umeå in 1988. Edström trained as a pilot at the Swedish Air Force Flying School in Ljungbyhed and was commissioned as an officer in 1989 with the rank of fänrik in Norrbotten Air Force Wing. There he was promoted to lieutenant in 1995 and to captain in 1998. In 1996, Edström served as squad leader in the 212th Fighter Squadron.
During the Swedish flight operation over Libya in 2011, he was operations commander for the Swedish flight contingent FL02, part of the Operation Unified Protector. In Afghanistan, he served as senior adviser and planning manager for Train Advise Assist Command – Air. Edström served as a staff officer in the Plans and Policy Department in the Joint Staff until he on 16 January 2015 took command as wing commander of Norrbotten Air Force Wing and commander of Luleå Garrison.
In addition to Swedish officer training, in 2014 he received a master's degree in strategy from the Air War College in the USA. From the re-establishment of the Air Staff on 1 January 2019, Edström served as Deputy Chief of Air Force until 4 September 2019 when he was appointed Chief of Air Force, taking office on 1 October 2019. He was promoted to major general at the same date.

Personal life

Edström is married to Ulrika and they have two sons, Gustav and Oscar.

Dates of rank