Sandqvist was born on 27 May 1945 in Othem, Gotland, Sweden, the son of John Robert Sandqvist and his wife Alfhilda Gustava. He passed studentexamen in 1966 and considered becoming a gymnastics director. Instead Sandqvist attended officer candidate school in 1967 and then the Royal Military Academy in Stockholm from 1968 to 1969 when he was commissioned as fänrik in Södermanland Regiment in Strängnäs. He continued servering in Södermanland Regiment being promoted to lieutenant in 1971 and to captain in 1972. Sandqvist attended the Army General Course at the Swedish Armed Forces Staff College from 1974 to 1975 and then Higher Course at the Swedish Armed Forces Staff College from 1977 to 1979. He was promoted to major in Södermanland Regiment in 1980 and served as company commander there from 1984 to 1985. Sandqvist served as commander of the Maintenance Section at the Eastern Military Area from 1985 to 1988 and he was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1986. He was commanding officer of the EU battalion in 1988 and the basic training battalion at Södermanland Regiment from 1988 to 1989. Sandqvist was then promoted to colonel and appointed commanding officer of Skaraborg Regiment in 1989. In 1992 he was promoted to colonel 1st class and appointed defence district commander. Sandqvist was then Inspector of the Swedish Armoured Troops at the Swedish Army Armoured Warfare Centre from 1 October 1993 to 30 June 1995 and Brigade Inspector at the Swedish Army Brigade Warfare Centre from 1995 to 1997, both in Skövde. Sandqvist served as the Chief of Home Guard from 1 October 1997 until 30 June 2000 and on 1 July 2000, he assumed the position of General Inspector of the Army and commanding officer of the Army Tactical Command. On 28 November 2002, the Swedish government appointed Sandqvist to the position of Inspector of the Army in the General Training and Management Directorate in the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters from 1 January 2003 until 31 May 2005. Sandqvist retired from the military in 2005 and then became head of the National Association of the Swedish Voluntary Motor Transportation Corps for 10 years until 2015. On 3 December 2016, Sandqvist became chairman of the association Ryttmästarbostället outside Skövde.
Personal life
Sandqvist is married to Yvonne Marianne and together they have two children: Pernilla Helen and Per Robert Åke.
