Life Guards Brigade
Active Swedish Army formation
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Life Guards Brigade,[a] also known as the 1st Infantry Brigade[b] (IB 1), is a reduced infantry brigade of the Swedish Army based in Stockholm County. It has been active since 2024, having previously served between 1949 and 2000. The brigade is headquartered at Kungsängen Garrison.
- 1949–2000
- 2024–present
Sweden
Swedish Army- Life Guards (peacetime)
- 1st Division (wartime)
| Life Guards Brigade | |
|---|---|
| Livgardesbrigaden | |
| |
| Active |
|
| Country | Sweden |
| Branch | Swedish Army |
| Part of |
|
| Headquarters | Kungsängen Garrison |
| Beret colour | Black |
| March | "Kungl. Svea livgardes marsch" |
| Commanders | |
| Commander | Col Martin Johansson |
History
The brigade was established in 1949 as the peacetime subordinate of the Uppland Regiment under the name Uppland Brigade, with Roslagen as its area of responsibility. However in 1957, the Uppland Regiment was disbanded, and the brigade was transferred and would henceforth act as the peacetime subordinate to the Svea Life Guards instead.[1]
In the Defence Act of 2000, the government proposed that the army undergo further post–Cold War downsizing and that many brigades, including the Life Guards Brigade, be disbanded.[2]
Upon the re-establishment of the brigade in 2024, its wartime organisation would be within the 1st Division along with the rest of the Swedish Army's active brigades.[3]
The brigade would be unique among all other brigades and units within the Swedish Army upon its establishment. It would hold a permanent responsibility for defending Stockholm,[4] and would be the only reduced infantry brigade, using only armoured personnel carriers instead of the standard Strf 90 and Strv 122.[5]
Organisation
As of 2022, the planned wartime organisation of the Life Guards Brigade at full operational capacity is as follows, with full capability expected to be reached no sooner than 2029:[6]
- 1st Infantry Brigade
- 1st Brigade Staff
- 1st Headquarters Company
- 1st Air Defence Company
- King's Guards Battalion
- 1st Motorised Infantry Battalion
- 2nd Motorised Infantry Battalion
- 1st Artillery Company
- 1st Brigade Staff
Traditions
Commanders
The commanders of the brigade throughout its history are as follows:
- 1949–1988: ?
- 1988–1993: Col Johan Hederstedt
- 1993–1997: Col Kim Åkerman
- 1997–1000: Col Sverker Göranson
- 2000–2024: Inactive
- 2024–present: Col Martin Johansson
Attributes
| Name | Translation | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upplandsbrigaden | Uppland Brigade | 1949-10-01 | – | 1985-06-30 |
| Gula brigaden | Yellow Brigade | 1985-07-01 | – | 1994-06-30 |
| Livgardesbrigaden | Life Guards Brigade | 1994-07-30 | – | 2000-06-30 |
| Livgardesbrigaden | Life Guards Brigade | 2024-08-26 | – | |
| Designation | From | To | ||
| IB 28 | 1949-10-01 | – | 1957-03-31 | |
| IB 38 | 1957-04-01 | – | 1985-06-30 | |
| IB 1 | 1985-07-01 | – | 2000-06-30 | |
| IB 1 | 2024-08-26 | – | ||
| Location | From | To | ||
| Uppsala Garrison | 1949-10-01 | – | 1957-03-31 | |
| Sörentorp Garrison | 1957-04-01 | – | 1970-06-30 | |
| Kungsängen Garrison | 1970-07-01 | – | 2000-06-30 | |
| Kungsängen Garrison | 2024-08-26 | – |
See also
Footnotes
- Swedish: Livgardesbrigaden, pronounced [ˈlɪvɡɑːrdəsˌbrɪˈɡaːdɛn]
- Swedish: 1. infanteribrigaden, pronounced [ˈfœʂːta ɪnfanˈtɛːriˌbrɪˈɡaːdɛn]