Dutch Admiral Rob Bauer retires after 43 years of service

A reception at the Marine Etablissement Amsterdam a few days ago provided the setting: there, Admiral Rob Bauer was bid farewell into retirement after 43 years of service. Words of praise came from Ruben Brekelmans, the Defence Minister of the Netherlands: “From young officer to the country's highest-ranking military officer, you have experienced it all. The end of the Cold War, years of austerity and the period in which the Ministry of Defence was able to invest and grow again. Through all these phases you stayed true to your course.”

Bauer began his career as a soldier in the Royal Netherlands Navy, where he was entrusted with numerous functions over the years. He commanded “Hr.Ms. De Ruyter” from 2005 to 2007 and “Hr.Ms. Johan de Witt” from 2010 to 2011. Between 2012 and 2015 he served on the Defence Staff as Director of Plans. In 2017 he was appointed Chief of Defence and thus became the country's highest-ranking military officer.

The naval officer moved to NATO in 2021. For three and a half years he chaired the Alliance's Military Committee there, making him the Secretary General's most important adviser, before he handed over this post in January. Under him, NATO's political leadership received unfiltered advice from the military leadership – Bauer made sure of that.

Rob Bauer and the Russian attack on Ukraine

Bauer held NATO's highest military office when Russia invaded Ukraine. From the very first day, he appealed to the Allies to support the country against the invasion. He also wanted to wake up the population of the Netherlands – for example with the call to put together emergency kits.

Brekelmans stated: “You have strengthened defence and NATO, and thus made the Netherlands and Europe safer. You leave behind organisations that believe in themselves again.” This may even be Bauer's greatest achievement, the Defence Minister said.

General Onno Eichelsheim, now Chief of Defence, described Bauer in the words “Tireless, with a genuinely warm heart and headstrong”. He added: “Expect the unexpected: you thought about that. Sometimes you deliberately did the unexpected to get things moving.”

In Bauer's view, this motto carries more weight today than ever before: “If we do not drastically increase our deterrence and resilience, we might as well get out our Russian translation machines.”

One message on many stages

Bauer said one sentence again and again, Brekelmans reported: “Preserving peace means preparing for war.” And further: “In many languages, on many stages. In The Hague, in Brussels, in Washington. You put into words something that many were still talking around. A message you have spread with tireless commitment in recent years. Even when it was still uncomfortable to say it.”