Salestrand was born in Växjö, Sweden. He attended platoon officers course from 1974 to 1975 and served as an instructor at the Västgöta Air Force Wing in 1975. Salestrand attended company officers course from 1978 to 1979 and served as platoon commander at the Royal Västergötland Air Force Wing in 1979. In 1982, he became head of the General Department at the Royal Västergötland Air Force Wing and in 1984, he attended the Swedish Air Force War College. Salestrand completed the Swedish Armed Forces Staff College's basic course from 1986 to 1987 and served as company commander at the Royal Västergötland Air Force Wing in 1987. He then completed the Swedish Armed Forces Staff College's senior course from 1988 to 1990 and served as an Operational/Tactical Officer Education teacher at the Swedish Armed Forces Staff College in 1990. Salestrand served as base commander at the Royal Västergötland Air Force Wing in 1992 and was head of the Base Section in the Air Force Command at the Swedish Air Force Headquarters in 1994. He attended the Air War College in United States from 1996 to 1997 and back in Sweden in 1997 he was head of the Planning Department at the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters in Stockholm. Salestrand was appointed commanding officer of the Jämtland Air Force Wing and commanding officer of Östersund Garrison on 1 October 2000. He served in this position until 2003 and during this time he also attended the civil management course at Solbacka in Södermanland in 2002. He was appointed Deputy Chief of General Training and Management on 1 October 2003 and then served as Chief of Training and Procurement from 2005 to 2007. In 2007 he attended the management course at Solbacka in Södermanland. Salestrand served as Chief of Training & Development from 2007 to 2009. On 7 May 2009, he was appointed Director Joint Staff and head of the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters. In this position he was also the head of the Swedish Armed Forces Special Forces and the Commandant General in Stockholm. Salestrand acted from 31 January 2013 until 18 March 2013 as Deputy Supreme Commander and Chief of Swedish Armed Forces. This because of Supreme Commander General Sverker Göranson's sick leave for exhaustion. Salestrand left his positions and retired from the military in 2014. On 7 October 2014, Salestrand was appointed State Secretary to the Minister for Defence Peter Hultqvist. On 9 September 2018, he was appointed Chief of His Majesty's Military Staff, taking office on 1 October 2018.
