Deputy Commander of Defense Forces Retires

Major General Rauno Sirk will retire from the Defense Forces on June 30. He has been the Deputy Commander since August 2024. Before that, he represented Estonia at NATO headquarters. He also led the Air Force and the Defense Investment Center. Rauno Sirk started his military service in 1993. He studied at the Estonian National Defense Academy and the U.S. Air Force College. He received extensive training in leadership and Air Force operations. In 2014, he was named Officer of the Year. There are other changes in the Defense Forces. Lieutenant Colonel Robert Rajaste is the new commander of the air defense battalion in the 1st Infantry Brigade. He took over from Lieutenant Colonel Kristian Leimann. Rajaste has served in the Defense Forces since 2006. He has worked in the air defense battalion and at the Defense Forces Academy. Leimann will continue his service abroad. Lieutenant Colonel Madis Koosa is the new commander of the reconnaissance battalion. He replaced Lieutenant Colonel Ranno Raudsik. Koosa has served in the Defense Forces since 2001. He has participated in three international missions. Raudsik will continue his education abroad. Major Taavi Murr and Senior Warrant Officer Tauno Lestmann are the new commanders of the engineer battalion. Murr has served in the Defense Forces since 2006. He has worked in the engineer battalion and at the Defense Forces Academy. Lestmann has served since 2008. Both have received new positions.