Chief of Defence | |
---|---|
Commandant der Strijdkrachten | |
Armed forces of the Netherlands | |
Style | His Excellency |
Abbreviation | CDS |
Member of | Central Staff |
Reports to | Minister of Defence |
Precursor | Chief of the Defence Staff |
Formation | 5 September 2005 |
First holder | General Dick Berlijn |
Deputy | Vice Chief of Defence |
Website | (in English) Chief of Defence |
The chief of defence (Dutch : Commandant der Strijdkrachten, CDS) is the highest-ranking military officer in the armed forces of the Netherlands and is the principal military advisor to the minister of defence. On behalf of the minister of defence, he is responsible for operational policy, strategic planning and for preparing and executing military operations carried out by the armed forces. The chief of defence is in charge of the central staff and is the direct commanding officer of all the commanders of the branches of the armed forces. In this capacity, the chief of defence directs all the activities of the Royal Netherlands Army, the Royal Netherlands Navy and Royal Netherlands Air Force. He is also in charge of the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, when it is operating under the responsibility of the minister of defence.
The main role of the chief of defence is as an intermediary between the Minister of Defence and the Central Staff of the Armed Forces of The Netherlands. He makes operational policy and is responsible to the minister for military-strategic planning, operations and deployment of the armed forces. The chief of defence is the direct commanding officer of the commanders of the branches of the Armed forces.
The branch commanders are responsible for preparedness and actual deployment of their military personnel in the Netherlands and the rest of the world. Regarding operational planning and deployment, the branch commanders take their orders directly from the Chief of Defence.
There is a fourth branch of the military, the Royal Marechaussee (Gendarmerie). This branch does not answer to the chief of defence, since it is the police force for the entirety of the armed forces. This requires that the Marechaussee be independent, so this branch took its orders directly from the secretary-general for the Ministry of Defence. The current secretary-general is Wim Geerts.
In addition to his command tasks, the chief of defence is the senior military advisor to the minister of defence.
The current position of Chief of Defence (CHOD) is new since 5 September 2005, when it replaced the existing role of Chef-Defensiestaf (Chief of the Defence Staff) and was abbreviated as CDS. Just like its predecessor role the position of Chief of Defence will rotate between the branches of the military; the first Chief of Defence was General Dick Berlijn, of the Royal Netherlands Air Force. The position of Chief of Defence is held by a Four-star officer (NATO OF-9, meaning a General or a Lieutenant admiral), which means that promotion to the position of Chief of Defence includes a promotion in rank as well as there is only one four-star officer in the current command structure. [1]
On 24 February 2017 the Ministry of Defence announced that Vice-admiral Rob Bauer will be the next Chief of Defence [2]
On 3 October 2017 the chief of defence General Tom Middendorp resigned after severe problems with the Dutch defence, [3] on 5 October 2017 he is succeeded by Lieutenant admiral Rob Bauer [4]
No. | Portrait | Commander-in-chief of the Armed forces | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | General Cornelis Snijders (1852–1939) | 31 July 1914 | 9 November 1918 | 4 years, 101 days | Royal Netherlands Army / Royal Netherlands East Indies Army | |
2 | Lieutenant general Willem Frederik Pop (1852–1939) | 9 November 1918 | 20 November 1919 | 1 year, 11 days | Royal Netherlands Army | |
Vacant Interbellum | ||||||
3 | Izaak Reijnders (1879–1966) | General28 August 1939 | 6 February 1940 | 162 days | Royal Netherlands Army | |
4 | Henri Winkelman (1876–1952) | General6 February 1940 | 15 May 1940 | 99 days | Royal Netherlands Army | |
Vacant German occupation | ||||||
5 | Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld (1911–2003) | General3 September 1944 | 13 September 1945 | 1 year, 10 days | Royal Netherlands Army / Royal Netherlands East Indies Army / Royal Netherlands Navy | |
6 | Hendrik Johan Kruls (1902–1975) | General13 September 1945 | 1 January 1949 | 3 years, 110 days | Royal Netherlands Army |
No. | Portrait | Chairman of the United Defence Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Hendrik Johan Kruls (1902–1975) | General1 January 1949 | 5 January 1951 | 2 years, 4 days | Royal Netherlands Army | |
2 | Vice admiral Edzard Jacob van Holthe (1896–1967) | 5 January 1951 | 10 January 1953 | 2 years, 5 days | Royal Netherlands Navy | |
3 | Fons Aler (1896–1981) | Lieutenant general10 January 1953 | 1 October 1953 | 264 days | Royal Netherlands Air Force | |
4 | Ben Hasselman (1898–1984) | General1 October 1953 | 1 November 1957 | 4 years, 31 days | Royal Netherlands Army | |
5 | Heije Schaper (1906–1996) | Lieutenant general1 November 1957 | 10 May 1959 | 1 year, 190 days | Royal Netherlands Air Force | |
6 | Lieutenant admiral Henry Pröpper (1906–1995) | 10 May 1959 | 10 May 1962 | 3 years, 0 days | Royal Netherlands Navy | |
7 | Gillis le Fèvre de Montigny (1901–1982) | General10 May 1962 | 5 May 1965 | 2 years, 360 days | Royal Netherlands Army | |
8 | Hein Zielstra (1908–1985) | General5 May 1965 | 30 December 1968 | 3 years, 239 days | Royal Netherlands Air Force | |
9 | Hugo van den Wall Bake (1913–1981) | Lieutenant admiral5 January 1969 | 15 January 1972 | 3 years, 10 days | Royal Netherlands Navy | |
10 | Willem van Rijn (1915–1997) | Lieutenant general15 January 1972 | 1 November 1973 | 1 year, 290 days | Royal Netherlands Army | |
11 | Robbie Wijting (1925–1986) | General1 November 1973 | 10 December 1976 | 3 years, 39 days | Royal Netherlands Air Force |
No. | Portrait | Chief of the Defence Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Robbie Wijting (1925–1986) | General10 December 1976 | 1 November 1980 | 3 years, 327 days | Royal Netherlands Air Force | |
2 | Cor de Jager (1925–2001) | General1 November 1980 | 5 July 1983 | 2 years, 246 days | Royal Netherlands Army | |
3 | Govert Huijser (1931–2014) | General5 July 1983 | 10 December 1988 | 5 years, 158 days | Royal Netherlands Army | |
4 | Peter Graaff (1936–2014) | General10 December 1988 | 10 May 1992 | 3 years, 152 days | Royal Netherlands Army | |
5 | Arie van der Vlis (1940–2020) | General10 May 1992 | 15 August 1994 | 2 years, 97 days | Royal Netherlands Army | |
6 | Henk van den Breemen (1941–2024) | General15 August 1994 | 5 June 1998 | 3 years, 294 days | Royal Netherlands Marine Corps | |
7 | Luuk Kroon (1942–2012) | Lieutenant admiral5 June 1998 | 5 June 2004 | 6 years, 0 days | Royal Netherlands Navy | |
8 | Dick Berlijn (born 1950) | General5 June 2004 | 5 September 2005 | 1 year, 92 days | Royal Netherlands Air Force |
No. | Portrait | Chief of the Defence | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Dick Berlijn (born 1950) | General5 September 2005 | 17 April 2008 | 2 years, 225 days | Royal Netherlands Air Force | |
2 | Peter van Uhm (born 1955) | General17 April 2008 | 28 June 2012 | 4 years, 72 days | Royal Netherlands Army | |
3 | Tom Middendorp (born 1960) | General28 June 2012 | 3 October 2017 | 5 years, 97 days | Royal Netherlands Army | |
4 | Rob Bauer (born 1962) | Lieutenant admiral5 October 2017 | 15 April 2021 | 3 years, 192 days | Royal Netherlands Navy | |
5 | Onno Eichelsheim (born 1966) | General15 April 2021 | Incumbent | 2 years, 334 days | Royal Netherlands Air Force |
Vice Chiefs of Defence | Military branch | Term of office | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Lieutenant general Hans Sonneveld | Royal Netherlands Army | 5 September 2005 – 1 December 2006 (1 year, 87 days) | ||
Lieutenant general Rob Bertholee (Born 1955) | Royal Netherlands Army | 1 December 2006 – 3 March 2008 (1 year, 93 days) | ||
Lieutenant general Freek Meulman | Royal Netherlands Air Force | 3 March 2008 – 3 March 2012 (2 years, 0 days) | ||
Vice admiral Wim Nagtegaal | Royal Netherlands Navy | 3 March 2010 – 14 May 2012 (2 years, 72 days) | ||
Lieutenant general Hans Wehren | Royal Netherlands Air Force | 14 May 2012 – 1 September 2015 (3 years, 110 days) | ||
Vice admiral Rob Bauer (born 1962) | Royal Netherlands Navy | 1 September 2015 – 13 July 2017 (1 year, 315 days) | ||
Lieutenant general Martin Wijnen (Born 1966) | Royal Netherlands Army | 13 July 2017 – 1 July 2019 (1 year, 353 days) | ||
Lieutenant general Onno Eichelsheim (Born 1966) | Royal Netherlands Air Force | 1 July 2019 - 8 March 2021 (1 year, 250 days) | ||
Vice admiral Boudewijn Boots (born 1964) | Royal Netherlands Navy | 8 March 2021 - (3 years, 6 days) | ||
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General Dick Lodewijk Berlijn is a retired Royal Netherlands Air Force four-star general, who served as Chief of Defence of the Netherlands from 2004, when he succeeded Lt. Adm. Luuk Kroon, until 2008, when he was succeeded by Gen. Peter van Uhm. In 2005, the post was renamed from Chef-Defensiestaf to Commandant der Strijdkrachten following a reorganisation, but the term "Chief of Defence Staff" is still the one usually used in English translations. His office saw Dutch military presence in Uruzgan with ISAF, as well as naval contributions to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, among other interventions. He has been awarded with the Légion d'honneur and the Legion of merit, and the Order of Orange-Nassau, all in the degree of commander, and the Order of Orange-Nassau with swords. Berlijn graduated from the Koninklijke Militaire Academie in 1973.
Robert Antonius Cornelis "Rob" Bertholee is a retired lieutenant general of the Royal Netherlands Army who served the head of the General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD) from 2011 to 2018. He previously was Commander of the Royal Netherlands Army from 2008 to 2011. Born in Haarlem, Bertholee is married and has one daughter.
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Thomas Antonius Middendorp is a retired general of the Royal Netherlands Army. He served as Chief of Defence of the Armed forces of the Netherlands from 28 June 2012 until 3 October 2017. He previously served as the commander of Task Force Uruzgan part of the International Security Assistance Force from 2 February 2009 until 3 August 2009.
Robert Peter Bauer is a lieutenant-admiral in the Royal Netherlands Navy, currently serving as the Chair of the NATO Military Committee since June 2021, after succeeding Air Chief Marshal Stuart Peach. Bauer previously served as the Chief of Defence from October 2017 to April 2021, and as the Vice Chief of Defence of the Armed forces of the Netherlands from 1 September 2015 to 13 July 2017. Bauer was also involved in anti-terrorist and anti-piracy operations in the Mediterranean Sea, and in the Horn of Africa.
Onno Eichelsheim is a general in the Royal Netherlands Air Force serving as Chief of Defence of the Netherlands Armed Forces since 15 April 2021. Prior to his post, he served as the Vice Chief of Defence from 1 July 2019 to 8 March 2021.