Peeter Ivask

Captain (N) Peeter Ivask was born on 22nd of August 1971 in Tallinn. He spent his childhood and school years in Tallinn. In 1991 after Estonia regained its independence, he voluntarily joined conscription service in Estonian Border Guard Service. After 18 months of service, in March 1993, he was assigned to reserve. Few months later he joined the Estonian Defence Forces’ Single Infantry Battalion “Kalev” and started training in a 6-month Infantry Officers’ Course. After graduation from the course in December 1993, he was promoted to the 2nd Lieutenant and appointed as Company Commander in the Battalion. He was serving also in the Battalion HQ before he was transferred to the Estonian National Defence Academy as Course Director and later on as Deputy Head of the Defence College. In 1995 he joined the Finnish National Defence Academy as a cadet and graduated four years later, in 1999, from the Finnish National Defence Academy Naval College. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and appointed to the Estonian Navy. He started his naval career on board of minesweepers and later on patrol ships. Soon he was appointed to the Naval HQ and his next appointment was in Operations Department. In 2002 he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Senior Grade and appointed to the position of Head of the Operations Section in Navy HQ. From 2004 to 2005 he studied in the UK Joint Services Command and Staff College in the Advanced Command and Staff Course. He graduated the course in 2005 and was promoted to Lieutenant Commander. He was appointed to the position of the Head of the Operations Department and was acting Chief of Staff of Navy HQ. In 2008 autumn he was appointed to the Estonian Defence Forces General Staff J5 Department where he served as Senior Staff Officer and was responsible for long term defence planning of the Estonian Defence Forces. In late 2009 he was selected to the Staff Officer position in the NATO Maritime Command Northwood. He was appointed to the N7 where his primary job was staff training and readiness. In 2010 he was promoted to the rank of Commander. After three years in the NATO position, in summer 2012, he moved back to Estonia and was appointed to Baltic Defence College as NATO Joint and Maritime operations lecturer. He also taught operational planning and conducted in-house exercises. After his tour in Baltic Defence College, Captain Ivask was appointed, in 2015, to the Estonian Defence Forces General Staff Operations Department (J3), where he was responsible for operational planning. He was also the main point of contact for the NATO operational planning community and coordinated activities with other governmental agencies. Captain Ivask was also Chairman of the Baltic Combined Joint Staff Element and coordinated Baltic States’ operational planning activities and exercises. On 1st of June 2017 Captain Ivask was appointed to the position of the Estonian Navy Flotilla Commander. 1 st of August 2019 till 31st of July 2022 Captain Ivask was serving in Joint Force Command Brunnsum as a Branch Head and Deputy ACOS J2. Starting from the 1st of August 2022 he assumed command of the NATO Force Integration Unit Estonia. He is married with three children and grandfather of a granddaughter. He has been awarded by the President of Estonia with the Order of the Cross of the Eagle V class in 2005 and Distinguished Service medals of the Defence Forces, the Navy, Baltic Defence College and Defence League. In spring 2021 Captain (N) Ivask received SACEUR’s Recognition Award.