Välimäki, Pasi

Lieutenant General

Position

Commander of the Finnish Army

Date and place of birth

1 September 1965, Turku

Family

Spouse Eija Välimäki, née Linden
Daughter

Career

  • Matriculation Examination Turku Normaalikoulu Upper-Secondary School 1984
  • Military service, Armoured Brigade 1985–1986
  • Deputy Platoon Leader, Pori Brigade 1986
  • Officer's Degree, Military Academy 1986–1989
  • Instruction Officer, Signal Regiment 1989–1992
  • Intelligence Officers' Introductory Course 1991
  • Staff Officer, Signal Regiment 1992–1993
  • Unit Commander, Signal Regiment 1993–1994
  • Signals Captain Course 1994
  • Military Observer Course, Germany 1994
  • Instruction Officer, Signal School, Signal Regiment 1995
  • UN Military Observer in the former Yugoslavia (UNPROFOR and UNMOP) 1995–1996
  • Senior Staff Officer Course and General Staff Officer Course 1996–1998
  • Staff Officer (Intelligence), Army Division, Defence Staff 1998–2001
  • Staff Officers Joint Electronic Warfare Course (NATO), Great Britain 1998
  • United Nations Staff Officer Course, Sweden 1999
  • Chief of Intelligence, Finnish Battalion Kosovo, KFOR 2000
  • Staff Officer (Electronic Warfare), C4 Division, Defence Staff 2000–2003
  • Intelligence Officers' Advanced Course 2001
  • Liaison Officer, US Joint Forces Command, Norfolk, USA 2003–2005
  • Command and Staff Course, United States Marine Corps, USA 2005
  • Senior Staff Officer, Operations Division, Defence Command 2005–2006
  • Senior Command Course 2006
  • Senior Staff Officer, Plans and Policy Division, Defence Command 2007
  • Battalion Commander, Karelia Brigade 2007–2009
  • Chief of Branch, Operations Division, Defence Command 2009–2011
  • Deputy Chief of Operations, Regional Command North HQ, ISAF, Afghanistan 2012
  • Senior Staff Officer, Plans and Policy Division, Defence Command 2012
  • Chief of the Strategic Planning Branch, Defence Command Plans and Policy Division 2013–2015
  • 211th National Defence Course 2014
  • International Fellow, National War College, National Defense University, USA 2015–2016
  • Special Assignment, Operations Division, Defence Command 2016
  • Commander of Karelia Brigade 2017–2019
  • Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations 2019-2021
  • Commander of the Finnish Army 2022-

Other training

  • Executive Master of Business Administration, Armaments and Capabilities EMBA, Aalto University 2010
  • Master of Science in National Security Strategy, National War College, National Defense University, Washington D.C. 2016
  • Combined/Joint Forces Land Component Commander (C/JFLCC) Course, Carlisle, Pennsylvania, 2024

Promotions

  • 1986 Second Lieutenant
  • 1989 Lieutenant
  • 1991 First Lieutenant
  • 1994 Captain
  • 1998 Major
  • 2006 Lieutenant Colonel
  • 2013 Colonel
  • 2016 Brigadier General (6 December 2016)
  • 2019 Major General
  • 2021 Lieutenant General

Decorations

  • Order of the White Rose of Finland, Commander
  • Cross of Liberty, 3rd Class
  • Order of the Lion of Finland, Knight First Class
  • Medal for Military Merits
  • NATO Medals, ISAF and SFOR
  • UN Medals, UNPROFOR and UNMOP
  • Meritorious Service Medal, USA
  • Einsatzmedaille der Bundeswehr ISAF, Germany

Languages

Finnish, Swedish, English

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