Puustinen, Aki Juhani

Brigadier General

Position

Chief of Staff Finnish Air Force

Date and place of birth

24 May 1972, Nilsiä

Family

Married, Four children

Education

•    Matriculation examination, Nilsiä Upper Secondary School 1992
•    National Defence University, Officer`s Degree 1997
•    Flight instructor, Air Force Academy 1998
•    Flight commander course, Air Force Academy 2000
•    Staff Officer Course, National Defence University 2008
•    General Staff Officer Course, National Defence University 2011
•    Master of Science in National Security Strategy, National War College, U.S. National Defence University, Washington D.C. USA 2017
•    Senior Command Course 2018
•    High Command Intelligence Course 2018
•    High Command Course 2019
•    National Defence Course 2020

Assignments

•    Conscript, Pilot Reserve Officer Course, Finnish Air Force Academy 1992 - 1993
•    Cadet, Military Academy, Air Force cadet course 1993 - 1997
•    Officer Pilot, F/A-18 Hornet, Fighter Squadron 31, Karelia Air Wing 1997 - 2003
•    Chief of Tactics and Weapons Office, Fighter Squadron 31, Karelia Air Wing 2003 - 2005
•    Deputy Flight Commander, F/A-18 Hornet, Fighter Squadron 31, Karelia Air Wing 2005
•    Flight Commander, F/A-18 Hornet, Fighter Squadron 31, Karelia Air Wing 2005 - 2007
•    Senior Staff Officer, Flight Operations, Air Force Command Finland 2008 - 2010
•    Assistant Chief of Staff Operations, Karelia Air Wing 2011 - 2013
•    Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff, A5 Plans Division, Air Force Command Finland 2013 - 2014
•    Squadron Commander, Aircraft Maintenance Squadron 41, Air Force Academy 2015 - 2016
•    International Fellow, National War College, US National Defence University 2016 - 2017
•    The Air Chief’s Representative at the Defence Command Finland 2017 - 2018
•    The Chief of Air Force Plans and Policy, A5 Plans Division, Air Force Command Finland 2018 – 2020
•    The Commander, Karelia Air Wing 2021 - 2023
•    Deputy Chief of Plans and Policy Division, Defence Command Finland 2023 - 2024
•    Chief of Staff Finnish Air Force, Air Force Command Finland 2024 - 

Promotions

•    Second Lieutenant 1993 
•    Lieutenant 1995
•    First Lieutenant 1997
•    Captain 2002
•    Major 2009
•    Lieutenant Colonel 2012
•    Colonel 2018
•    Brigadier General 2024

Decorations

•    Medal for Military Merits
•    Officer Association Medal of Merit (s)
•    Knight, First Class, of the Order of the Lion of Finland
•    Officer Association Medal of Merit (g)
•    Commander of the Order of the Lion of Finland
•    Cross of Merit of the Air Force

Languages

Finnish, Swedish, English