Ministry of Defence
Tallinn, 7 August 2012 – At the proposal of the Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces, Minister of Defence Urmas Reinsalu has appointed Lieutenant Colonel Jaak Tarien the new Commander of the Estonian Air Force effective from 15 August.

The current Commander of the Air Force, General Valeri Saar, will continue to serve as Estonia’s military representative to NATO.

At the August 7 meeting with General Saar and Lieutenant Colonel Tarien, the Minister of Defence emphasised the importance of the Air Force and air policing in the national defence of Estonia. “The Air Force has been effective in developing Estonia’s national defence; today we boast an excellent airbase at Ämari and a permanent air policing arrangement,” said Reinsalu, affirming the expectation that effective co-operation should continue in the future, too.

Jaak Tarien (38), a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, earned his Master’s degree from the Air Command and Staff College of the USAF Air University. He has also completed the Higher Command Studies Course at the Baltic Defence College.

Lieutenant Colonel Tarien has served as Commander of the Estonian team at the BALTNET Regional Airspace Surveillance Co-ordination Centre in Lithuania, as Deputy Director of the Regional Airspace Surveillance Coordination Centre, as Chief of Staff of the Air Surveillance Wing of the Estonian Air Force, and as Staff Officer with NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Transformation.

Lieutenant Colonel Tarien served as Commander of the Operational, Planning and Training Division of the Air Force of the Estonian Defence Forces from 2008 to 2009, and has been serving as Chief of Staff of the Air Force since 2009.

Under the Defence Forces Service Act, commanders of armed services are appointed by the Minister of Defence at the proposal of the Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces.

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