Andrus Merilo
Estonian army officer (born 1973)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Andrus Merilo (born 2 June 1973) is an Estonian General and current Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces since 2024.[1]
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PresidentAlar Karis
Preceded byMartin Herem
Born2 June 1973
Tallinn, Estonian SSR, Soviet Union
Allegiance
Estonia
EstoniaAndrus Merilo | |
|---|---|
| |
| Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces | |
| Assumed office 1 July 2024 | |
| President | Alar Karis |
| Preceded by | Martin Herem |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 2 June 1973 Tallinn, Estonian SSR, Soviet Union |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Estonia |
| Branch/service |  Estonian Defence Forces |
| Years of service | 1995–present |
| Rank |  Lieutenant General |
| Commands | |
| Battles/wars | UNIFIL KFOR Iraq War War in Afghanistan |
| Awards | See: Awards, decorations, and recognition |
In 2005 he was the commander of ESTPLA-10 in Iraq. In 2007 he was the commander of ESTCOY-4 in Afghanistan.
Merilo commanded the Scouts Battalion from 2013 to 2016. Since June 2021, he commanded the 1st Infantry Brigade.
Effective dates of promotion
| Insignia | Rank | Date |
|---|---|---|
 | Ensign | 16 July 1999[2] |
 | Sub-lieutenant | 3 June 2002[3] |
 | Lieutenant | 12 June 2003[4] |
 | Captain | 3 October 2006[5] |
 | Major | 9 February 2010[6] |
 | Lieutenant colonel | 16 February 2015[7] |
 | Colonel | 18 February 2020[8] |
 | Brigadier General | 23 February 2024[9] |
 | Major General | 19 June 2024[10] |
| Lieutenant General | 20 June 2025[11] |
Awards, decorations and recognition
Decorations and badges
| Estonian Awards and decorations | ||
 | 5th Class of the Order of the Cross of the Eagle (with swords) | 6 February 2006 |
 | Cross of Merit of the Ministry of Defence (III class) | |
 | Distinguished Service Decoration of the EDF (for battle merit) | 6 May 2005 |
 | Cross for the Exemplary Service of the Estonian Defence Forces | |
 | Gold Cross of the Officer of Land Forces | |
 | Silver Cross of the Officer of Land Forces | |
 | Estonian Defence Forces General Staff Cross of Merit | |
.png){kind=small} | MoD Medal of Participants in International Military Operations | |
 | Estonian Defence Forces Long Service Medal | |
 | Merit Medal of the Defence League Special Class | 20 September 2023[12] |
 | Memorial Medal "10 Years of the Re-Established Defence Forces" | |
 | Distinguished Service Decoration of the Peace Operations Centre | |
| Foreign Awards | ||
 | National Defence Medal (gold grade) with bar | 28 May 2024 (France)[13] |
 | 1st Class Commander of the White Rose of Finland | 27 May 2024 (Finland)[14] |
 | NATO Medal for ISAF | |
 | NATO Medal for KFOR | |
 | United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon Medal | |
 | National Service Medal (Army) | (Norway) |
| Badges | |
 | Badge of the Estonian Scouts Battalion |
 | Badge of the Estonian 1st Infantry Brigade |
.jpg) | The badge of the Finnish reserve officer course |
 | United States Army Command and General Staff College International Graduate Badge |
