After 43 years of service, Admiral Rob Bauer retired a few days ago during a reception at the Marine Etablissement Amsterdam. The Minister of Defense of the Netherlands, Ruben Brekelmans, praised: “From young officer to the highest military officer in the country, you have experienced everything. The end of the Cold War, years of austerity measures and the period in which the Ministry of Defense was able to invest and grow again. In all these phases, you have remained true to your course.”
Bauer began his military career in the Royal Navy. He has held many positions during his career. From 2005 to 2007 he was commander of the “Hr.Ms. De Ruyter”, from 2010 to 2011 commander of the “Hr.Ms. Johan de Witt” and from 2012 to 2015 Director of Planning in the Defense Staff. In 2017, Bauer was appointed the country’s highest military Commander of the Armed Forces.
The naval officer transferred to NATO. He was Chairman of the Alliance’s Military Committee for three and a half years and thus the most important advisor to the Secretary General before he handed over this post in January. He ensured that NATO’s military leadership gave unfiltered advice to the political leadership.
Russian invasion of Ukraine
As NATO’s top military officer, Bauer witnessed the Russian invasion of Ukraine (-> current news from the Ukraine war). From day one, he called on the allies to support the country against this invasion. He also shook the Dutch population awake. Among other things, he called on people to get emergency packages.
Brekelmans commented: “They have strengthened the defense and NATO and thus made the Netherlands and Europe safer. You leave behind organizations that believe in themselves again.” According to the Minister of Defense, this is perhaps Bauer’s greatest achievement.
“Tireless, with a genuinely warm heart and headstrong,” is how the current commander of the armed forces, General Onno Eichelsheim, characterized Bauer. “Expect the unexpected: you thought about that. Sometimes you deliberately did the unexpected to get things moving.”
According to Bauer himself, this motto applies today more than ever: “If we don’t drastically increase our deterrence and resilience, we’d better get out our Russian translation machines.”
Tireless commitment
“Keeping the peace means preparing for war.” Bauer had often spoken these words, explained Brekelmans. “In many languages, on many stages. In The Hague, in Brussels, in Washington. You put something into words that many people were still talking about. A message that you have spread tirelessly over the past few years. Even when it was still uncomfortable to say it.”
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