President Edgars Rinkēvičs handed over the commander’s flag to Brigadier General Kaspars Pudāns, who replaces the previous commander of the armed forces (referred to as ‘chief of defence‘ in NATO parlance), Lieutenant General Leonids Kalniņš, who has spent eight years in the position.
Brigadier General Kaspars Pudāns has been serving in the National Armed Forces since 1994, and from February 22, 2023 to January 21 of this year, he served as the Commander of the National Guard.
He received his military education at the Latvian National Defence Academy, the Baltic Defence College in Estonia, and the Military Academy in France. Brigadier General Kaspars Pudāns holds a Bachelor’s degree in Law and a Master’s degree in Total Quality Management.
He has gained experience in the international operation in Afghanistan, as well as serving as a military representative at the NATO/EU Military Representation in Brussels.
According to the Law on the National Armed Forces, the Saeima approves the Commander of the National Armed Forces for a four-year term.