Skaraborg Brigade

Skaraborg Brigade
Skaraborgsbrigaden
Active	1943–2000 2022–present
Country	Sweden
Branch	Swedish Army
Size	Brigade
Part of	Skaraborg Regiment (peacetime) 1st Division (wartime)
Headquarters	Skövde Garrison, Västra Götaland
Motto(s)	Arvet förpliktar ("The heritage obligates")
Beret colour	Black
March	"Geschwindmarsch" [note 1]
Battle honours	Varberg (1565) Breitenfeld (1631) Lützen (1632) Warszawa (1656) Lund (1676) Landskrona (1677) Narva (1700) Malatitze (1708)
Commanders
Commander	LtCol Peter Andersson
Staff Chief	LtCol Tobias Hagstedt
Insignia
Branch insignia
Unit insignia

The Skaraborg Brigade (Swedish : Skaraborgsbrigaden), or the 4th Mechanized Brigade (MekB 4), is a Swedish Army mechanized brigade located in the county of Västra Götaland, active since 2022. It was previously active 1942–2000. The brigade is located at Skövde Garrison with the Skaraborg Regiment.

History

The brigade was established in 1943 as one of the first army brigades under the name of the 9th Armoured Brigade. Eight years after brigades would replace regiments as the primary fighting force of the Army in 1951, the brigade had its name changed to the current one. ^[2]

The unit was disbanded as a result of the disarmament policies set forward in the Defence Act of 2000. ^[3] In 2021, following the Defence Act of 2020, which significantly reorganized the army, ^[4] the 2nd Brigade was disbanded, and its equipment was transferred to the Skaraborg Brigade, which was set to be re-established in 2022.

Organization

As of 2022, the planned wartime organization of the Norrbotten Brigade at full operational capacity is as follows, with full capability expected to be reached by 2027: ^[5]

• Skaraborg Brigade
  • 4th Brigade Staff
    • 4th Brigade Headquarters Company ^{[note 2]}
    • 4th Brigade Reconnaissance Company
    • 4th Brigade Signals Company ^{[note 3]}
    • 4th Brigade Air Defence Company
  • 41st Mechanized Battalion
  • 42nd Mechanized Battalion
  • 43rd Mechanized Battalion
  • 4th Brigade Support Battalion ^{[note 4]}
  • 4th Brigade Engineer Battalion ^{[note 5]}
  • 4th Brigade Artillery Battalion ^{[note 6]}
  • 4th Tank Transport Company ^{[note 7]}

Heraldry and traditions

The Skaraborg Brigade shared heraldry and traditions with the Skaraborg Regiment. In the years 1998–2000, the brigade managed the traditions of the regiment. ^[6]

When the Skaraborg Brigade was disbanded in 2000, the Skaraborgs regementes och Skaraborgsbrigadens (MekB 9) förtjänstmedalj ("Skaraborg Regiment and Skaraborg Brigade (MekB 9) Medal of Merit") in gold and silver (SkarabregbrigGM/SM) of the 8th size was established in 1999. The medal ribbon is divided in black and yellow moiré with a white stripe on the middle followed on both sides by a red stripe. ^[7]

• 
  Skaraborg Regiment and Skaraborg Brigade (MekB 9) Medal of Merit.
• 
  Skaraborg Regiment and Skaraborg Brigade (MekB 9) Medal of Merit.
• 
  Ribbon of the Skaraborg Regiment and Skaraborg Brigade (MekB 9) Medal of Merit.

Commanders

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

• 1949–1989: ?
• 1989–1992: Col Alf Sandqvist
• 1992–1995: Col Peter Lundberg
• 1995–1999: Col Tony Stigsson
• 1999–2000: Col Jörgen Britzen
• 2000–2022: Inactive
• 2022–2025: Col Michael Carlén
• 2025–present: LtCol Peter Andersson

Attributes

Name	Translation	From		To
9. pansar­brigaden	9th Armoured Brigade	1943-??-??	–	1949-09-30
Skaraborgs­brigaden	Skaraborg Brigade	1949-10-01	–	1997-12-31
Skaraborgs regemente och Skaraborgs­brigaden	Skaraborg Regiment and Skaraborg Brigade	1998-01-01	–	2000-06-30
Skaraborgs­brigaden	Skaraborg Brigade	2022-01-01	–
Designation		From		To
9. pansarbrig		1943-??-??	–	1949-09-30
PB 9		1949-10-01	–	1997-12-31
MekB 9		1998-01-01	–	2000-06-30
MekB 4		2022-01-01	–
Location		From		To
Skövde Garrison		1949-10-01	–	2000-06-30
Skövde Garrison		2022-01-01	–

See also

• List of Swedish Army brigades

Footnotes

1. The march was adopted in 1994 and established on 13 June 1996. ^[1]
2. Organized from the 11th Management Battalion of the Command and Control Regiment.
3. Organized from the 12th Signals Battalion of the Command and Control Regiment.
4. Organized from the 1st Logistics Battalion of the Göta Logistic Regiment.
5. Organized from the 21st Engineer Battalion of the Göta Engineer Regiment.
6. Organized from the 92nd Artillery Battalion of the Boden Artillery Regiment.
7. Organized from the 1st Heavy Transport Company of the Skaraborg Regiment.

References

Notes

1. Sandberg 2007, p. 39
2. Johansson 2024
3. Riksdagen 1999
4. Riksdagen 2020
5. Försvarsmakten 2022
6. Braunstein 2003 , p. 333
7. Braunstein 2007 , p. 106

Print

• Braunstein, Christian (2003). Sveriges arméförband under 1900-talet. Skrift / Statens försvarshistoriska museer, 1101-7023; 5 (in Swedish). Stockholm: Statens försvarshistoriska museer. ISBN   91-971584-4-5. SELIBR   8902928.
• Braunstein, Christian (2007). Utmärkelsetecken på militära uniformer [Decorations on Swedish military uniforms](PDF). Skrift / Statens försvarshistoriska museer, 1101-7023; 12 (in Swedish). Stockholm: Statens försvarshistoriska museer. ISBN   978-91-976220-2-8. SELIBR   10423295.
• Sandberg, Bo (2007). Försvarets marscher och signaler förr och nu: marscher antagna av svenska militära förband, skolor och staber samt igenkännings-, tjänstgörings- och exercissignaler (in Swedish) (New ed.). Stockholm: Militärmusiksamfundet med Svenskt marscharkiv. ISBN   978-91-631-8699-8. SELIBR   10413065.

Web

• Riksdagen (2020-10-15). "Totalförsvaret 2021–2025 (Proposition 2020/21:30)". riksdagen.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 2023-07-15.
• Riksdagen (1999-11-25). "Det nya försvaret (Proposition 1999/2000:30)". riksdagen.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 2025-03-30.
• Försvarsmakten (2022). "Planerad utveckling av krigsorganisationen 2021-2030" [Planned development of the war organization 2021-2030](PDF). forsvarsmakten.se (in Swedish). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2022-03-10. Retrieved 2025-03-27.
• Johansson, Robert (2024-10-07). "Regementena är döda – leve krigsförbanden!". militardebatt.com (in Swedish). Retrieved 2025-03-30.