Lena Hallin

Hallin was born on 26 March 1961 in Johanneberg Parish in Gothenburg and Bohus County.[2] Hallin did her military service at the Uppland Air Force Wing (F 16) and the Scania Air Force Wing (F 10) in 1980 focusing on combat control and air surveillance.[3] She attended the Swedish Air Force Officers’ College (Flygvapnets officershögskola) from 1981 to 1983 when she was commissioned as an officer in the air force with the rank of fänrik. Hallin then served with combat control and air surveillance for 10 years.[4] In 1985, she passed the General Course of the Royal Swedish Air Force Staff College (Flygvapnets krigshögskola) and in 1988 the Advanced Course at the same staff college. In 1992, Hallin attended the Staff Officer Course of the Swedish National Defence College and she served as head of HR Unit at Jämtland Air Force Wing (F 4).[4] From 1997 to 1999, she underwent the Senior Staff Course, Operation, at the Swedish National Defence College.[5] She has also had civilian employment as head of Human Resources in Östersund Municipality from 1999 to 2000.[6] From August 2000 to July 2001, she served as head of department at the Swedish Armed Forces Staff College and from January 2001 to January 2002, Hallin was head of education in Östersund Municipality.[5] She was then Head Teacher at the Swedish National Defence College from August 2001 to January 2002 and Head of the Education and Training Unit (Grundorganisationsavdelningen, Utbildning, GRO UTB) at the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters from February 2002 to May 2003.[5][4]

Hallin served as chief of staff at the Jämtland Air Force Wing (F 4) from June 2003 and was then the last wing commander and head of the decommissioning organization for the Jämtland Air Force Wing (AO F 4) from June 2005 to September 2006.[5][7] From January 2007 to January 2011, she was Sweden's first female unit commander when she was commanding officer of the Command and Control Regiment.[7] Hallin served as military attaché at the Embassy of Sweden, London from 2011 to 2013.[7] In 2013, Hallin was promoted to brigadier general and appointed head of management system in the Swedish Armed Forces.[3] Thus she became Sweden's first female general outside the military medical field.[note 1] As head of the management system, Hallin she led the strategic development in the management system area and represented the agency in management system issues, both nationally and internationally. She was also responsible for the implementation of the operations assignments in the Command and Control Regiment, the Swedish Armed Forces Network and Telecommunications Unit (Försvarsmaktens telenät- och markteleförband, FMTM) and the Swedish Armed Forces Intelligence and Security Centre (Försvarsmaktens underrättelse- och säkerhetscentrum, FMUndSäkC), as well as for the acquisition of the relevant material systems, but also led the Swedish Armed Forces frequency management, weather service and geographical information service.[3]

From October 2013 to June 2016, Hallin was head of the Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI)'s Division of C4ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) and from July 2016 and almost three years after that, she conducted International Studies/Security Policy at the Royal College of Defence Studies in the United Kingdom.[5] From September 2017 until 2018, Hallin served as a military advisor at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Stockholm.[7] On 1 October 2018, she took up the position of Deputy Director of Military Intelligence and Security, with an appointment until 30 April 2019.[8] On 1 May 2019, Hallin took over as Director of Military Intelligence and Security, after the government announced her appointment on 30 August 2018. In connection with the appointment, she was promoted to major general.[7]

Hallin was a fellow of the Royal Foundation (Kungafonden) from 2008 to 2009, chairman of the Psychological Operations Study from 2007 to 2010, member of the Swedish Armed Forces Personnel Responsibility Committee (Försvarsmaktens personalansvarsnämnd), and the Swedish Armed Forces point of contact of the Swedish Voluntary Radio Organization (Frivilliga Radioorganisationen).[4]

In 1984 she married Terje Hallin (born 1958). They have three children.[3]

• 1983 – Fänrik
• 1985 – Lieutenant
• 1989 – Captain
• 1993 – Major
• 2001 – Lieutenant Colonel
• 2006 – Colonel
• 2013 – Brigadier General
• 2019 – Major General