Koninklijke Militaire School (KMS) is a Dutch military school in the Netherlands training soldiers and non-commissioned officers for the Royal Netherlands Army.
Koninklijke Militaire School (KMS) is a Dutch military school in the Netherlands training soldiers and non-commissioned officers for the Royal Netherlands Army.
The KMS began as the Onderofficiers School (OOS), in 1952, in Weert; it was renamed KMS in 1961. The buildings had been constructed just before World War II, and had been used by the British Army to station troops after the liberation of the Netherlands. [1]
NCOs were formerly trained in the Van Hornekazerne in Weert, but the Dutch government decided to move those facilities to the Jan van Schaffelaerkazerne, in Ermelo, [2] an operation that was completed in 2015. [3] That move gave new life to the military installations in Ermelo, which had suffered severely when the Regiment Infanterie Oranje Gelderland was removed from the base. In 2018 the school in Ermelo was allotted more money to increase the number of graduates by 15% annually. [4]
Lower ranks (soldiers and corporals) learn basic military skills at the Algemene Militaire Opleiding in one of three schools (School Noord in Assen; School Zuid in Oirschot; School Luchtmobiel in Arnhem). NCOs (sergeants to adjutants/warrant officers) are trained in three stages at the KMS in Ermelo. (The Koninklijke Militaire Academie trains commissioned officers.)
Desiré Delano Bouterse is a Surinamese military officer, politician, convicted murderer and drug trafficker who served as President of Suriname from 2010 to 2020. From 1980 to 1987, he was Suriname's de facto leader after conducting a military coup and establishing a period of military rule. In 1987, Bouterse founded the National Democratic Party (NDP). On 25 May 2010, Bouterse's political alliance, the Megacombinatie, which included the NDP, won the parliamentary elections, and on 19 July 2010, Bouterse was elected as President of Suriname with 36 of 50 parliament votes. He was inaugurated on 12 August 2010.
Henck Alphonsus Eugène Arron was a Surinamese politician who served as the first Prime Minister of Suriname after it gained independence in 1975. A member of the National Party of Suriname, he served from 24 December 1973 with the transition government, to 25 February 1980. He was overthrown in a coup d'état by the military, led by Dési Bouterse. Released in 1981 after charges of corruption were dropped, he returned to banking, his previous career. In 1987, Arron was elected as Vice President of Suriname and served until another coup in 1990 overthrew the government.
The December murders were the murders on 7, 8, and 9 December 1982, of fifteen prominent young Surinamese men who had criticized the military dictatorship then ruling Suriname. Thirteen of these men were arrested on December 7 between 2 am and 5 am while sleeping in their homes. The other two were Surendre Rambocus and Jiwansingh Sheombar who were already imprisoned for attempting a countercoup in March 1982. Soldiers of Dési Bouterse took them to Fort Zeelandia, where they were heard as "suspects in a trial" by Bouterse and other sergeants in a self-appointed court. After these "hearings" they were tortured and shot dead. The circumstances remain unclear. On 10 December 1982, Bouterse claimed on national television that all of the detainees had been shot dead "in an attempt to flee".
Ramsewak Shankar is a Surinamese politician who was the 4th President of Suriname, serving from 1988 to 1990. His government was overthrown by Dési Bouterse leading a bloodless military coup. Shankar had previously served as Agriculture & Fisheries Minister from 1969 to 1971.
Major Marinus Johannes "Marco" Kroon, RMWO, is a Dutch officer serving with the Korps Commandotroepen. Kroon is one of only three living knights 4th class of the Military Order of William and the first new member appointed to this Dutch Order in over half a century. The Military William Order is the highest honour in the Netherlands, bestowed for "performing excellent acts of Bravery, Leadership and Loyalty in battle".
The Surinamese Interior War was a civil war waged in the Sipaliwini District of Suriname between 1986 and 1992. It was fought by the Tucayana Amazonas led by Thomas Sabajo and the Jungle Commando led by Ronnie Brunswijk, whose members originated from the Maroon ethnic group, against the National Army led by then-army chief and de facto head of state Dési Bouterse.
The 1980 Surinamese coup d'état, usually referred to as the Sergeants' Coup, was a military coup in Suriname which occurred on 25 February 1980, when a group of 16 sergeants of the Surinamese Armed Forces (SKM) led by Dési Bouterse overthrew the government of Prime Minister Henck Arron with a violent coup d'état. This marked the beginning of the military dictatorship that dominated the country from 1980 until 1991. The dictatorship featured the presence of an evening curfew, the lack of freedom of press, a ban on political parties, a restriction on the freedom of assembly, a high level of government corruption and the summary executions of political opponents.
Ronnie Brunswijk is a Surinamese politician, businessman, former rebel leader, footballer and convicted drug trafficker, who is serving as the current Vice President of Suriname.
Hendrick Rudolf "Henk" Chin A Sen was a Surinamese politician who served as the President of Suriname from 15 August 1980 until 4 February 1982.
Chandrikapersad "Chan" Santokhi is a Surinamese politician and former police officer who is the 9th president of Suriname, since 2020. After winning the 2020 elections, Santokhi was the sole nominee for president of Suriname. On 13 July, Santokhi was elected president by acclamation in an uncontested election. He was inaugurated on 16 July.
Netherlands–Suriname relations refers to the current and historical relations between the Netherlands and Suriname. Both nations share historic ties and a common language (Dutch) and are members of the Dutch Language Union.
Major Kenneth George Mayhew was a British Army veteran of the Second World War. Mayhew was one of the recipients of the Military William Order, the highest honour of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Paul Bhagwandas was a Suriname battalion commander. He was one of the sergeants who participated in a military coup in Suriname on 25 February 1980. Bhagwandas was the third man in the military dictatorship after Dési Bouterse and Roy Horb and was known as "the executioner of Fort Zeelandia".
Roy Dennis Horb was a Surinamese military officer. He was one of the sergeants who committed a military coup in Suriname on 25 February 1980, and the right hand man of army leader Dési Bouterse.
Yngwe Elstak (1927–2010) was a Surinamese military officer. He was the first commander of the Surinamese Armed Forces, from November 25, 1975, until February 25, 1980.
Surendre Sradhanand "Soerinder" Rambocus was a Surinamese serviceman. For a short period, he was the highest-ranking officer of the Suriname National Army. He was involved in the unsuccessful coup d'état of March 1982 against the then dictator of Suriname, Dési Bouterse, and was executed on 8 December 1982 as one of the December murders.
The National Military Council was the ruling military junta of Suriname between the 1980 Sergeants' Coup and the 1987 general election.
Willem Frederik "Wim" van Eer was a Surinamese diplomat and educator. He served as Minister Plenipotentiary of Suriname from 1 April 1974 until the Independence of Suriname on 25 November 1975. Subsequently, he was appointed first Ambassador of Suriname to the Netherlands and served until 20 May 1980.
Coenraad van Lier was a Surinamese physician, politician, and military officer. He established the first medical school in Suriname.
Diplomatic relations between Cuba and Suriname were established on 23 March 1979. Suriname has had an embassy in Havana since 2003. Cuba has had an embassy in Paramaribo since 1981.