Heikkinen, Aki Juhani

Brigadier General

Position

Assistant Chief of Staff, Operations, Defence Command 

Date and place of birth

25 November 1973, Oulu

Family

Married, one child

Education

  • Matriculation examination, Kiiminki High School 1992

  • National Defence University, Officer’s Degree, 1997 

  • Flight Instructor Course, Air Force Academy, 1998 

  • General Staff Officer Course, National Defence University 2009

  • Master of Strategic Studies, Air War College, Maxwell AFB, USA, 2018

  • High Command Course, Defence Command, 2021

  • National Defence Course 2022

Career

  • Military service, Air Warfare School, Kauhava, 1992-1993

  • Pilot Reserve Officer Course 67, 1993

  • Cadet Course 80, 1993 - 1997

  • Officer Pilot, Fighter Squadron 21, Satakunta Air Command 1997 - 2004

  • Flight Commander, Fighter Squadron 21, Satakunta Air Command 2004 - 2008

  • Flight Safety Officer, Satakunta Air Command 2008 - 2009

  • Chief of Section, Air Force Command Finland 2010 - 2012

  • Head Instructor of Air Warfare, National Defence University 2012 - 2013

  • Squadron Commander, Fighter Squadron 11, Lapland Air Command                   2013 ─ 2015

  • Assistant Chief of Staff, Air Force Operations, Air Force Command Finland 2018 - 2019

  • Commander of Satakunta Air Command    2019 - 2021

  • Chief of the F-35 Liaison Office, United States, 2022 - 2024

  • Assistant Chief of Staff, Operations, Defence Command  2024 -

Promotions

  • Lieutenant, 01 May 1995

  • First Lieutenant, 04 June 1997

  • Captain, 04 June 2002

  • Major, 04 June 2009

  • Lieutenant Colonel, 04 June 2012

  • Colonel, 04 June 2018

  • Brigadier General, 01 November 2024

Decorations

  • Medal for Military Merits, 30 May 2008

  • Highest Achiever, Air Warfare Programme, General Staff Officer Course 56, 2009

  • Knight, First Class, of the Order of the White Rose of Finland, 04 June 2013

  • Teacher of the Year Prize, National Defence University, 2013

  • Adolf Ehrnrooth Foundation Award of Recognition, 13 February 2014

  • Gold Medal of Merit of the Reserve Officers Association, 06 December 2021

  • Commander of the Order of the Lion of Finland, 04 June 2024

Languages

Finnish, English, Swedish

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