Lieutenant General Kim Jäämeri

Kim Jäämeri´s military career begun by conscription service on the Finnish Air Force Pilot Reserve Officer Course in 1982 and the Air Force Academy in 1984-1987. After graduating with pilot wings, he was commissioned as a lieutenant to Fighter Squadron 21 in Southwest Finland where he progressed to fly the Saab 35 Draken in fighter operations around Finland and over the Baltic Sea. He advanced to become a fighter weapons instructor and flight commander. In 1993, he passed test pilot training, earning The Best Test Pilot award of his class.

In 1995, Jäämeri was deployed to US Navy in California for F/A-18 Hornet strike fighter pilot and instructor qualifications to set up the Finnish Air Force Hornet training. He assumed command of the first Finnish Hornet unit within Fighter Squadron 21, and command of the entire squadron in 1999. During this period, he also attended the French Collège Interarmées de Défense in Paris.

In 2001 Jäämeri became Military Assistant 1 to the Chairman of the European Union Military Committee and was posted to Brussels. He held this position until 2004, when he was assigned the task of Chief of Air Warfare Branch in the Operations Division (J3) of Defence Command Finland. Jäämeri's subsequent posts at the Defence Command included that of the Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff Operations and a posting to Operational Planning with the Plans and Policy Division (J5). These were followed by his appointment as the Director of Finland's prestigious National Defence Courses for 2007-2010.

The year 2011 saw the return of Kim Jäämeri to the Air Force. He was nominated commander of Finland's Southwestern Air Command until 2012, to be transferred to Air Force Command Finland as Deputy Chief of Staff Air Force Operations. In 2014, Jäämeri was appointed Commander of the Finnish Air Force.

From 2017 to 2022, Jäämeri served as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategy at Defence Command Finland, responsible for strategy and policy formulation, defence design and capability development. He brought military expertise to drafting of governmental programs and defence white papers. He also led the operationalization of Finnish Defence Force's bi-and multinational co-operation. Before leaving Finland, he was responsible for shaping Finland's military strategic approach to NATO membership.

During his career, LtGen Jäämeri has gained experience in strategic, operational, educational, diplomatic, policy and international matters. He has received several national and international awards and decorations for his service.

Lieutenant General Jäämeri speaks Finnish, Swedish, English and French.