Melin was born on 17 July 1945 in Stånga, Sweden, the son of Sven Erik Olof Melin and Dagny Gertrud Emilia Ulmstedt. His interest in horses started in the mid-1950s at the farm in Stånga where his neighbor had three Ardennes horses and a Gotland Pony. He left Gotland and the farm in Stånga in 1963 to his military conscription at the cavalry regiment Norrland's Dragoons in Umeå. Melin interest in horses came in handy there too as the regiment had 400 horses in its stable.
Career
He attended Military Academy Karlberg in 1968 and became second lieutenant in the same year. Melin attended the Infantry and Cavalry Officer School from 1970 to 1971 and became a captain in the Norrland's Dragoons in 1972. He completed Ranger School at Fort Benning in Georgia in 1977, the first Swedish officer to do that. After that he did the Higher Staff Course at the Military Academy Karlberg from 1977 to 1979. Melin was a major at the Defence Staff in 1979 and the General Staff in 1981 and was section head at Gotland Military Command from 1982 to 1987. He was also adjutant of His Majesty the King from 1980 to 1988. Melin was appointed lieutenant colonel in 1984 and was the battalion commander at Norrland Dragoon Regiment from 1987 to 1989. He was a colonel and commander of Norrland Dragoon Regiment from 1989 to 1992 and colonel of the 1st rank and head of operation at the Northern Military District in Boden from 1992 to 1995. Melin was promoted to major general and was deputy Chief of Army Staff at Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters from 1995 to 1996. On 1 April 1996, Melin was promoted to lieutenant general and was appointed Chief of Army Staff. He was after that military commander of the Northern Military District from 1998 to 2000 and the Sweden's member of the European Union Military Committee and the NATO military committee for partner countries. He was the Crown Equerry of the Royal Court of Sweden from 2003 to 2015.
Membership
Melin is a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences since 1995 and a board member of the Association for the Mounted Guard. He is also an honorary member of the Cavalry and Ranger Officers Association.
Personal life
In 1968 he married Gurli Margaretha Åberg. He is the father of Stig Magnus and Anna Margareta.
