Life Guards Brigade

  1. Home
  2. Wiki

Life Guards Brigade
Livgardesbrigaden
Active
  • 1949–2000
  • 2024–present
Country Sweden
Branch Swedish Army
Part of
HeadquartersKungsängen Garrison
Beret colour  Black
March"Kungl. Svea livgardes marsch"
Commanders
CommanderCol Martin Johansson
Swedish infantry brigades
Previous Next
None 2nd Infantry Brigade

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.

History

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

Traditions

[edit]

In line with the standard beret colour of Swedish light infantry, black is the most common beret colour within the brigade.[7]

Adopted in 1994, the brigade march is "Kungl. Svea livgardes marsch" by Wilhelm Körner.[8]

Commanders

[edit]

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

[edit]
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

[edit]

Footnotes

[edit]
  1. ^ Swedish: Livgardesbrigaden, pronounced [ˈlɪvɡɑːrdəsˌbrɪˈɡaːdɛn]
  2. ^ Swedish: 1. infanteribrigaden, pronounced [ˈfœʂːta ɪnfanˈtɛːriˌbrɪˈɡaːdɛn]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Braunstein 2003, p. 315
  2. ^ Riksdagen 1999
  3. ^ Johansson 2022
  4. ^ Försvarsmakten 2025
  5. ^ Försvarsmakten 2024
  6. ^ Försvarsmakten 2022
  7. ^ Försvarsmakten 2015, p. 117
  8. ^ Sandberg 2007, p. 53

Sources

[edit]
  • Riksdagen (25 November 1999). "Det nya försvaret (Proposition 1999/2000:30)". riksdagen.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  • Braunstein, Christian (2003). Sveriges arméförband under 1900-talet. Skrift / Statens försvarshistoriska museer, 1101-7023; 5 (in Swedish). Stockholm: Statens försvarshistoriska museer. ISBN 91-971584-4-5. SELIBR 8902928.
  • Sandberg, Bo (2007). Försvarets marscher och signaler förr och nu: marscher antagna av svenska militära förband, skolor och staber samt igenkännings-, tjänstgörings- och exercissignaler (in Swedish) (New ed.). Stockholm: Militärmusiksamfundet med Svenskt marscharkiv. ISBN 978-91-631-8699-8. SELIBR 10413065.
  • Försvarsmakten (2015). "Uniformsbestämmelser 2015" (PDF). Reglemente (in Swedish). Stockholm: Swedish Armed Forces.
  • Försvarsmakten (2022). "Planerad utveckling av krigsorganisationen 2021-2030" [Planned development of the war organization 2021-2030] (PDF). forsvarsmakten.se (in Swedish). Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 March 2022. Retrieved 27 March 2025.
  • Johansson, Alf (29 September 2022). "Armén skapar divisionsförmåga". forsvarsmakten.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 11 May 2025.
  • Försvarsmakten (11 July 2024). "Livgardesbrigaden IB 1". forsvarsmakten.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 18 May 2025.
  • Försvarsmakten (27 January 2025). "Stockholmsbrigad tar form". forsvarsmakten.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 18 May 2025.

59°30′54″N 17°46′44″E / 59.51500°N 17.77889°E / 59.51500; 17.77889