Northern Military District (Sweden)

Northern Military District
Norra militärdistriktet
Active	2000–2005
Country	Sweden
Allegiance	Swedish Armed Forces
Branch	Joint service
Type	Military district
Role	Operational, territorial and tactical operations
Part of	Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters
Garrison/HQ	Boden
Colors	Yellow and blue
March	"Norrlandsfärger" (Widkvist)

Northern Military District (Swedish language: Norra militärdistriktet , MD N) was a military district within the Swedish Armed Forces from 2000 to 2005. It's staff was located in Boden Garrison in Boden, Sweden.

History

Prior to the Defence Act of 2000, the Swedish government in its bill to the Riksdag proposed that the tactical level should be reduced by the decommissioning of divisional and defence district staffs as well as naval commands and air commands. This in order to design an army tactical, navy tactical and air tactical command which would be co-located with the operational command. The proposal meant that all territorial staffs would be disbanded, which meant, among other things, the decommissioning of military area staffs. Instead, on 1 July 2000, four military districts were formed, which in principle corresponded geographically to the former military areas. The big difference was that the military district was the lowest level at which the commander was territorially responsible. In the military districts, military district groups was organized after the previous division of defence district, which in the Northern Military District corresponded to seven military district groups.

Prior to the Defence Act of 2004, the Swedish government proposed to the Riksdag, on a proposal from the Swedish Armed Forces, to reduce the number of military district groups, where the military district groups in Kalix and Sollefteå within the Northern Military District were proposed to be disbanded. According to the Swedish Armed Forces, fewer Home Guard units would be organized, but better trained and fulfilled units. The Defence Act meant that Norrbottens gränsjägargrupp and the Västernorrlandsgruppen were disbanded on 30 June 2005, and its tasks were taken over on 1 July 2005 by the Lapplandsjägargruppen and the Härnösandsgruppen, respectively. Furthermore, Gotland Military District (MD G) was also disbanded, which meant that the Gotlandsgruppen was transferred from 1 January 2005 to the Central Military District (Mellersta militärdistriktet, MD M).

Prior to the Defence Act, the Swedish Armed Forces had proposed three alternatives to a changed military district organization. The first course of action was to maintain the military district organization. The second course of action would be to merge the military district staff with a training unit. The third course of action would be to disband the military district organization and transfer responsibility for the territorial operations to the Joint Forces Command (OPIL). That a change in the military district organization was necessary was shared by both the government, the Swedish Armed Forces and the Swedish Parliamentary Defence Commission (Försvarsberedningen). Both the government and the Defence Commission felt that the issue needed further consideration before a parliamentary decision was possible. The government's main alternative, however, was that the organization should be disbanded.

On 2 June 2005, the Swedish government presented its bill (2004/05:160) on the decommissioning of the military district organization. In the bill, the government referred to that "In the future "operational defence" (Swedish: insatsförsvar) and the decided operational organization, there is no longer a requirement or need for regional or territorial command that justifies a specific command organization". In this way, the government considered that the military district organization could be disbanded, which was also proposed by the Swedish Armed Forces in a petition to the government on 7 March 2005. Instead, four management groups for security service and collaboration would be set up, where the management groups would be located to Boden, Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö. On 16 November 2005, the Riksdag decided that the military district organization should be disbanded on 31 December 2005, which meant that the military district groups were reorganized into training groups (utbildningsgrupper) and subordinated to a training unit (utbildningsförband). As a result, all military district groups were transferred from the Northern Military District (MD N) and became subordinated from 1 January 2006 of the Norrbotten Regiment (I 19). On 21 December 2005, the disbandment was manifested through a closing ceremony and on 31 December 2005, the district was officially disbanded. From 1 January 2006, the Northern Military District transitioned to a decommissioning organization, which operated until 30 June 2006.

Units

2000–2004

• Härnösandsgruppen, Härnösand
• Jämtlandsgruppen, Östersund
• Lapplandsjägargruppen, Kiruna.
• Norrbottensgruppen, Boden.
• Norrbottens gränsjägargrupp, Kalix.
• Västerbottensgruppen, Umeå.
• Västernorrlandsgruppen, Sollefteå.

2005–2005

On 1 January and 1 July 2005, a new organization was adopted, when the military district group in Kalix was disbanded on 31 December 2004 and the one in Sollefteå was disbanded on 30 June 2005. On 1 July the Härnösandsgruppen adopted the name Västernorrlandsgruppen.

• Västernorrlandsgruppen, Härnösand
• Fältjägargruppen, Östersund
• Lapplandsjägargruppen, Kiruna
• Norrbottensgruppen, Boden
• Västerbottensgruppen, Umeå

Barracks

In connection with the formation of the Northern Military District on 1 July 2000, the staff building erected in the 1960s was taken over by the then Upper Norrland Military Area (Milo ÖN). The staff building is erected in direct connection with the Commandant's Building (Kommendantsbyggnaden), and erected in three composite wings. When the Upper Norrland Military Area (Milo NN) and Lower Norrland Military Area (Milo NN) were amalgamated, the property was taken over by the Northern Military Area (Milo N). On 1 July 2000, the property was taken over by the Northern Military District. After the Northern Military District was disbanded and decommissioned in 2005, the property was taken over by, among other things, the Security and Cooperation Section of Boden (Säkerhets- och samverkanssektion Boden).

Heraldry and traditions

Coat of arms

The coat of the arms of the Northern Military Area Staff (Milo N) 1994–2000, and the Northern Military District Staff (MD N) 2000–2005. Blazon: "Azure, the provincial badge of Västerbotten, a reindeer courant, armed gules, followed by a mullet, both argent. The shield surmounted an erect sword or".

Colours, standards and guidons

The command flag of the commanding officer of Northern Military District is drawn by Kristina Holmgård-Åkerberg and embroidered by hand in insertion technique by the company Libraria. Blazon: "On blue cloth an erect yellow sword; in the first corner a white reindeer at speed armed red, followed by a white mullet".

Command flag

Medals

In 2005, the Norra militärdistriktets minnesmedalj ("Northern Military District Commemorative Medal") in bronze (MDNMBM) of the 8th size was established. The medal ribbon is divided in blue and yellow. In the blue field three yellow lines and in the yellow field one blue line. A miniature of the coat of arms of the district is attached to the ribbon.

The Northern Military District Commemorative Medal.

Medal, ribbon and miniature of the Northern Military District Commemorative Medal.

Commanding officers

Military district commanders

• 2000–2002: Major General Jan Frank
• 2003–2005: Major General Björn Anderson

Chiefs of staff

• 2000–2004: Colonel 1st Class Ulf Nordlander
• 2004–2005: Colonel Thommy Göransson

Names, designations and locations

Name	Translation	From		To
Norra militärdistriktet	Northern Military District	2000-07-01	–	2005-12-31
Avvecklingsorganisation	Decommissioning Organisation	2006-01-01	–	2006-06-30
Designation		From		To
MD N		2000-07-01	–	2004-12-31
Location		From		To
Boden Garrison		2000-07-01	–	2005-12-31

References

Print

• Braunstein, Christian (2004) (in Swedish). Svenska försvarsmaktens fälttecken efter millennieskiftet. Skrift / Statens försvarshistoriska museer, 1101-7023 ; 7 [dvs 8]. Stockholm: Statens försvarshistoriska museer. ISBN 91-971584-7-X. 9815350. http://www.sfhm.se/contentassets/84a6e4f1b2ce4e2b96c4ba578a41c503/sfhm-skriftserie_svenska-armens-falttecken-efter-millennieskiftet_av_christian-braunstein.pdf. 
• Braunstein, Christian (2006) (in Swedish). Heraldiska vapen inom det svenska försvaret. Skrift / Statens försvarshistoriska museer, 1101-7023 ; 9. Stockholm: Statens försvarshistoriska museer. ISBN 91-971584-9-6. 10099224. https://www.sfhm.se/contentassets/84a6e4f1b2ce4e2b96c4ba578a41c503/heraldiska-vapen-inom-det-svenska-forsvaret-sfhm-skrift-9.pdf. 
• Braunstein, Christian (2007) (in Swedish). Utmärkelsetecken på militära uniformer. Skrift / Statens försvarshistoriska museer, 1101-7023 ; 12. Stockholm: Statens försvarshistoriska museer. ISBN 978-91-976220-2-8. 10423295. https://www.sfhm.se/contentassets/84a6e4f1b2ce4e2b96c4ba578a41c503/sfhm-skriftserie-utmarkelsetecken-pa-militara-uniformer-christian-braunstein-2007.pdf. 
• Sandberg, Bo (2007) (in Swedish). Försvarets marscher och signaler förr och nu: marscher antagna av svenska militära förband, skolor och staber samt igenkännings-, tjänstgörings- och exercissignaler (New ed.). Stockholm: Militärmusiksamfundet med Svenskt marscharkiv. ISBN 978-91-631-8699-8. 10413065.