General Sverker John Olof Göranson (born 3 May 1954) is a retired Swedish Army officer. Sverkerson was commissioned as an officer in 1977. During the 1990s, Göranson embarked on an international career. He completed the Swedish National Defence College's Command Course and attended several courses in international humanitarian law before relocating to the United States Army Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. In 1994, he also completed the United Nations Staff Officers Course. Notably, Göranson served as the Chief of Staff in Nordbat 2/BA 05 within the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) in Bosnia from 1995 to 1996 and later as the Deputy Battalion Commander in Swebat within the Implementation Force (IFOR) in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1996. Upon his return to Sweden, Göranson assumed the position of Deputy Brigade Commander at the Scanian Brigade and later became the Brigade Commander of the Life Guards Brigade before taking up the role of Military Attaché and Assistant Defence Attaché in Washington, D.C. He assumed the position of Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces in 2009.
Göranson's tenure as Supreme Commander, like his predecessors, was marked by budget cuts and the transition from a focus on territorial defence to an expeditionary defence strategy. On multiple occasions, Göranson voiced his criticism of this transition and the financial constraints facing the Swedish Armed Forces. He even went so far as to suggest that an entire branch of the military might have to be disbanded unless additional funds were allocated, emphasizing the necessity of increased budgetary allocations starting from 2015.
Career
Göranson was born in Lund, Sweden, the son of Sven-Eric Göranson, a Natural science teacher, school leader and principal at Komvux, and Margit, a language teacher (1921–2005). He soon moved with his parents to Kristianstad. He graduated from Österängsskolan in 1973, which followed by technical high school in Hässleholm before enrolling at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg in 1974. There he studied pedagogic, psychology and sociology and graduated in 1975 with a college examina in engineering. In June 1974 he started his mandatory conscription and served as a platoon leader at North Scanian Regiment (P 6) in his hometown of Kristianstad, followed by the Swedish Armoured Troops Cadet and Officer Candidate School (PKAS) at Göta Life Guards (P 1) in Enköping.
Career
He enrolled at the Military Academy Karlberg in 1975 and graduated in 1977, finishing first in his class. Göranson was commissioned as 1st Lieutenant and served as a main battle tanks instructor. Göranson was promoted to captain in 1980 and passed the Basic Course at the Swedish Armed Forces Staff College from 1983 to 1984, when he was promoted to major. He then passed the General Staff Course at the Swedish Armed Forces Staff College from 1985 to 1987, finishing first in his class. Göranson served as a staff officer at the Southern Military Area (Milo S) from 1987 to 1989 and then as a staff officer at the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters Staff for Joint Operations (Operationsledningen, OPL) from 1989 to 1991. In 1990 he passed the 31st Military Course on Law of Armed Conflicts and the Basic Course at the Swedish National Defence College.
From 1991 to 1993 Göranson was Deputy Project Manager, Tactical Evaluation of the main battle tank for the Swedish Army and was promoted to lieutenant colonel. He attended the United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas, United States from 1993 to 1994 where he was one of the foremost among the foreign students. Göranson was later inducted into the Fort Leavenworth International Hall of Fame in 2008. Göranson passed the UN Staff Officer Course in 1994 and was a senior teacher of army tactics at the Swedish Armed Forces Staff College from 1994 to 1995. Göranson was then chief of staff of the Nordic Battalion 2 (Nordbat 2)/BA 05 in the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) in Bosnia and Herzegovina late 1995. In early 1996 he was deputy battalion commander of Swebat in the Implementation Force (IFOR) in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Back in Sweden, he was deputy brigade commander of Southern Scania Brigade (Södra skånska brigaden, MekB 7) from 1996 to 1997 when he was promoted to colonel.