Owe Wiktorin

Biography

Wiktorin was born in Motala, Sweden, the son of chief accountant Erik Wiktorin and his wife Esther (née Johnson). Wiktorin was dreaming of becoming a pilot at a young age and he built aircraft models during when growing up in Askersund. He passed his studentexamen in 1961. 191.5 centimeters tall, Wiktorin was almost too long for the fighter's cockpits, but he was accepted was trained as a pilot at the Royal Air Force Flight Academy in Ljungbyhed from 1961 to 1962 eventually becoming an officer in the Swedish Air Force in 1964. Wiktorin was an attack pilot at F 7 Såtenäs from 1964 to 1969 and attack squadron commander at F 7 Såtenäs from 1969 to 1971. Wiktorin studied the higher course at the Swedish Armed Forces Staff College and served at the Planning Department at the Defence Staff from 1971 to 1973. He then studied at the Air Command and Staff College in the United States from 1979 to 1980.

He was head of the Planning Department at the Defence Staff from 1980 to 1983 and was deputy wing commander at F 4 Frösön from 1983 to 1984 and head of Section 1 of the Air Staff from 1983 to 1984. In 1986 he was promoted to major general and was appointed head of the Planning Management at the Defence Staff as well as acting chief of the Defence Staff. In 1991 he became lieutenant general and chief of the Defence Staff and in 1992 he was appointed military commander of the Southern Military Area (Milo S). In 1994 he was promoted to general and became Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces. When Wiktorin became Supreme Commander in 1994, a massive reorganization of the Swedish defense was carried out when 110 defence agencies were coordinated into one with control from the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters in Stockholm. The military also underwent one of its greatest transformations ever, from the Cold War defence of invasions and major conscript armies to a more downturned flexible response defence. His time as Supreme Commander was also marked by major cutbacks of the Swedish defense. Wiktorin stayed in the position of Supreme Commander until 30 June 2000.

In 1985 he became a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences. On 2 October 1998, Wiktorin became honorary member number 20 of the Lund Academic Officer Society (Lunds Akademiska Officerssällskap). On 6 June 2000 he was awarded the H. M. The King's Medal of the 12th size in gold with chain "for outstanding work for the Swedish defense." Wiktorin was chairman of the Swedish Association for Hunting and Wildlife Management (Svenska Jägareförbundet) from 2003 to 2007 and then became an honorary member.

Personal life

In 1965, Wiktorin married in Cajs Gårding (born 1943), the daughter of engineer Folke Gårding and Signe (née Domeij). Together they have two sons, Martin and Björn.

Dates of rank

Awards and decorations