Johannes Kert (3 December 1959 – 4 March 2021) was an Estonian politician and military officer. He served as the Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces from 1996 until 2000. He retired from the military in 2008. Since 2014, Kert had been a member of the Estonian Reform Party.
Early life and education Kert was born in 1959 in Pechory, in the Russian SFSR. He graduated from Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald Võru 1st Secondary School in 1978 and in 1981 from the Faculty of Physical Education of Tartu State University. He was conscripted as a lieutenant in the Soviet Army, where he was stationed in the Lithuanian SSR. Kert graduated from the Corps Commanders' Course at the Kharkiv Higher Tank School in 1988 and the Strategic Planning Course for Senior Civil Servants at the George C. Marshall Center for European Security Studies in Germany in 1994. He had studied at the Estonian National Defense Senior Command Special Course at the Finnish National Defense College in 1998–1999 and at the United States Army War College in Pennsylvania in 1999–2000.
Military service Johannes Kert served in the Soviet Army as a platoon commander and acting platoon commander from 1983 to 1985. He was a member of the Estonian Defence League since 1990. He was the Commander of the Tartu Division of the Defence League in 1991, Commander of the Operational Group of the Defence League from 1991 to 1992, Commander of the Kuperjanov Infantry Battalion in 1992. Kert was Commander of the Defence League from 1993 to 1996. He was Commander of the Defence Forces from 1996 to 2000, then Advisor to the Commander of the Defence Forces and Commander of the Land from 2000 to 2002. He was the Estonian Military Representative to NATO and the European Union from 2002 to 2008.
Later life He retired from active duty on January 31, 2008. Since 1 February 2008, he has been an advisor to the Ministry of Defence. He advised the Ministry mainly on cyber defence. He was one of the founders of the NGO Free Ukraine and an alumnus of the Korporatsioon Sakala. He has been a member of the Reform Party since October 2014. He ran in the 2015 Estonian parliamentary election in electoral district no. 8 and was elected with a district mandate (752 votes). He was a member of the Member of the 13th and 14th Riigikogu from March 30, 2015 to his death on 4 March 2021 in Tallinn. He was buried in the Defence Forces Cemetery of Tallinn.
In August 2023, a memorial to Kert was unveiled in Võru.
Effective dates of promotion Soviet Army See Military ranks of the Soviet Union + Promotions Insignia Rank DateLieutenant (лейтена́нт)1981Senior Lieutenant (ста́рший лейтена́нт)1984Captain (капита́н)1988
Estonian Land Forces See Military ranks of Estonia + Promotions Insignia Rank DateCaptain1992Major21 June 1993Lieutenant Colonel1 February 1995Colonel23 January 1996Major General4 June 1997Lieutenant General19 June 1998
Awards, decorations, and recognition
Decorations and badges Estonian Awards and decorations 2nd Class of the Order of the Cross of the Eagle 2001 White Cross of the Estonian Defence League (I class) 2008 White Cross of the Estonian Defence League (II class) White Cross of the Estonian Defence League (III class) Cross of Merit of the Ministry of Defence (I class) 2009 Cross of Merit of the Ministry of Defence (II class) 2009 Distinguished Service Decoration of the EDF 20 February 2001 Order of Merit of the Estonian Defence Forces 18 May 2005 Merit Medal of the Defence League Special Class Gold Cross of the Officer of Land Forces Estonian Defence Forces General Staff Cross of Merit 12 November 2003 Merit Medal of the Defence League I Class Merit Medal of the Defence League II Class Memorial Medal "10 Years of the Re-Established Defence Forces" NCO School Medal of Merit Golden Cross of the Rescue Board 18 February 2002 Border Guard Cross of Merit I Class Memorial Medal 10 Years of the Re-Established Border Guard (I Class) Cross of the Estonian Reserve Officers’ Assembly (gold) 12 June 2001 Former Estonian Forest Brothers Association Service Cross II class) "City locked down" 20 year Memorial Medal Foreign Awards Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Lion of Finland (Finland) Golden Medal of Merit Finnish Reserve Officer Association (Finland) Order of Finnish Non-commissioned Officers League (Finland) Blue Cross (Finland) Cross of the Association of Military Guilds (Finland) Order of Merit of Latvian Ministry of Defense (Latvia) Award of the Minister of Defense badge of honor "For contribution to the development of the armed forces" (Latvia) Medal for Diligency in Military Service (Latvia) State of Maryland Distinguished Service Cross (U.S.) CISM Order of Merit Grand Knight (International) Baltic Assembly Medal 25 October 2018 (International)Badges Order of Merit of Kuperjanov Battalion The Order of Merit of the Estonian National Defence College The Order of Merit of the Estonian Reserve Officers’ Assembly The Order of Merit of Estonian Border Guard "Sword and Lynx" Order of Merit of Defense League unit in Jõgeva Order of Merit of Defense League unit in Läänemaa Order of Merit of Defense League unit in Tallinn 10 year service badge of Defense League unit in Tallinn Order of Merit of Defense League unit in Tartu Order of Merit of Defense League subunit in Tartu Order of Merit of Defense League unit in Narva The Board of Elders of the Estonian Defence League member badge
References
External links
Johannes Kert. Member of the Riigikogu Johannes Kert. NATO Biographies