Jöran Polman furthered the Swedish alliances forged by his father Jürgen, serving in the Swedish military. He started out as a noble bursch in the bodyguard in 1619, and worked his way up to become captain of the Kronoberg regiment in 1623. He was also chamberlain to King Gustavus Adolphus, and served in the Thirty Years’ War as captain of the Smålanders under Herman Wrangel. In 1621, Jöran was among the officers under Wrangel who captured the fortress of Riga, ensuring Swedish control over the coasts of the Baltic. He is one of twenty soldiers whose portrait adorns the walls of Sweden’s Skokloster Castle.