Valtonen, Vesa Petteri

Brigadier General

Position

Chief of Personnel (J1)

Date and place of birth

10.7.1969, Joutseno

Family

Married
Two children

Career

  • Matriculation, Kuusa Upper Secondary School 1988
  • Military service, Kymi Engineer Battalion 1989-1990
  • Reserve Officer Course 191, 1989
  • Cadet Course 77, 1990 – 1993
  • Training officer / Kymi Engineer Battalion 1990, 1993–1995 
  • Head of Unit, Kymi Engineer Battalion 1996–1998 
  • Engineer Chief, Finnish Jaeger Battalion / SFOR, Bosnia 1999 
  • Pre-Officer Course 54 2000
  • Teacher, Army Academy 2001–2002 
  • General Staff Officer Course 51 2002-2004
  • Head of Department and Deputy Head of Department, Operations Department, Karelia Brigade 2004–2005
  • Mannerheim Scholar, Switzerland 2006 
  • Research Officer, National Defence University 2006–2009
  • Doctoral degree in military sciences, National Defence University, 2010 
  • Divisional Officer, Army Headquarters 2010-2011)
  • Regional National Defence Course YK23 North Karelia 2010 
  • General Secretary, Secretariat of the Security Committee and Secretariat of the Security and Defence Committee, Ministry of Defence 2011-2014
  •  National Defence Course MPK 201 2012
  • Battalion commander, Kymi Engineer Battalion, Karelia Brigade 2014-2016
  • Secretary General, Secretariat of the Security Committee, Ministry of Defence 2016-2020 
  •  Deputy Head of Department / Planning Department, Army Headquarters 2020 - 2021
  • Docent, National Defence University 2020 - 
  • Commander of Pori Brigade 2021-2023
  • Chief of Personnel (J1) 2024

Promotions

  • Second Lieutenant 1990
  • Lieutenant 1992
  • First Lieutenant 1994
  • Captain 1999
  • Major 2003
  • Lieutenant Colonel 2011
  • Colonel 2018
  • Brigadier General 2022

Decorations

  • Commander's Badge of the Lion of Finland (SL K)
  • Order of the Lion of Finland 1st class 
  • Military Merit Medal (Sot.am.)
  • Medal of Military Merit 
  • Civil Defence Medal 1lk
  • Medal of Engineering Merit 
  • Medal of Merit of the Cadet Corps 
  • Reservists' Association's Cross of Merit 
  • Guild Merit Medal 
  • National Defence Medal 
  • NATO Medal 

Languages

Finnish, English, German, Swedish

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