| Birth date | 1969 (age 57–58) |
|---|---|
| Allegiance | Norway |
| Branch | Norwegian Armed Forces |
| Service years | 1988–present |
| Rank | Sergeant Major |
| Commands | Command Sergeant Major of the Norwegian Armed Forces |
Rune Wenneberg (born 1969) is a Norwegian senior non-commissioned officer serving in the Norwegian Armed Forces. Holding the rank of Sergeant major, he has served as the Command Sergeant Major of the Norwegian Armed Forces since 1 November 2021.[1]
Education
Wenneberg attended the Norwegian non-commissioned officer school and the Norwegian Military Academy. He has also studied at the Royal Danish Defence College and at the Joint Forces Staff College in Virginia, United States.[2]
Military career
Wenneberg has served as a company commander in Mechanized Company 4 (Mek 4) of the Telemark Battalion. He has participated in international operations in Lebanon, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan.[3]
In 2015, he became the first Sergeant Major of the Norwegian Army, the highest rank in the specialist career track introduced under Norway's military personnel reform. Holding NATO rank code OR-9, he was the first person in Norway since 1930 to be appointed to a rank equivalent to that of a traditional warrant officer or senior non-commissioned officer.[4]
Public attention
In 2010, Wenneberg became a prominent figure in a national debate concerning military culture and symbol use among Norwegian forces serving in Afghanistan. As commander of Mek 4, he was associated with the unit's use of Viking-inspired symbolism and the battle cry "Til Valhall" ("To Valhalla"), both of which became subjects of public discussion.[5][6][7]
Awards and decorations
Wenneberg has received the following awards and decorations:
Norwegian medals and awards
| Defence Service Medal with Laurel Branch | |
| Norwegian Army Medal of Merit | |
| Defence Service Medal with one star | |
| Defence Medal for International Operations with two stars | |
| Medal for Defence Service Abroad with Rosette | |
| Medal for Defence Operations Abroad Afghanistan IV (four deployments) | |
| Medal for Defence Operations Abroad Iraq II (two deployments) | |
| Military Service Medal Army with three stars | |
| Police Afghanistan Medal | |
| Norwegian defence shooting badge with laurel wreath | |
| Norwegian defence military sports badge with two stars |
Foreign decorations
| United Nations Medal UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) | |
| NATO Medal – Former Yugoslavia | |
| NATO Medal – Kosovo | |
| NATO Medal – ISAF | |
| Cross for the Four Day Marches |
Other honours
| Inducted into the U.S. Army Sergeant Morales Club (2018)[8] |
References
- ^ "– Jeg tar over jobben med ærefrykt" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Armed Forces. 2021-11-02.
- ^ https://www.linkedin.com/in/rune-wenneberg-903b1656/?originalSubdomain=no
- ^ https://www.aftenposten.no/norge/i/wE7e4/avstanden-til-norge-ndash-majoren-snakker-ut
- ^ "Syv av ti norske offiserer skal bli underoffiserer" (in Norwegian). Aftenposten. 2015-08-26.
- ^ "Avstanden til Norge – Majoren snakker ut" (in nb). www.aftenposten.no. 2010-10-10. Retrieved 2026-05-29.
- ^ Ege, Rune Thomas; Andersen, Mads A.; Johansen, Marianne; Hegvik, Gunn Kari; Olsen, Ole N. (2010-09-29). "Afghanistan-majorer kalles inn på teppet" (in Norwegian). VG. Retrieved 2026-05-29.
- ^ Ibsen, Alexander Z. (2024-12-29). "(+) Gjensyn med Valhall" (in nb-NO). minerva. Retrieved 2026-05-29.
- ^ "12th Annual Conference of European Armies for NCOs". DVIDS