Life Guards Brigade


The Life Guards Brigade, also known as the 1st Infantry Brigade, 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

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.
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.
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.
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, and would be the only reduced infantry brigade, using only armoured personnel carriers instead of the standard Strf 90 and Strv 122.

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:
In line with the standard beret colour of Swedish light infantry, black is the most common beret colour within the brigade.
Adopted in 1994, the brigade march is "Kungl. Svea livgardes marsch" by Wilhelm Körner.

Commanders

The commanders of the brigade throughout its history are as follows:

Attributes