Dieter Stöckmann is a retired German

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 general of the Bundeswehr

Bundeswehr

The Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities...

. He was Commander-in-Chief, Allied Forces Central Europe

Allied Forces Central Europe

Joint Force Command Brunssum is the NATO military command based in Brunssum, Netherlands. JFC-B reports to Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe based at Casteau, Belgium. It is one of three operational level commands in the NATO command structure, the others being Joint Force Command...

 from 1996-98.

Biography

Stöckmann was born in Stolp, Pomerania

Pomerania

Pomerania is a historical region on the south shore of the Baltic Sea. Divided between Germany and Poland, it stretches roughly from the Recknitz River near Stralsund in the West, via the Oder River delta near Szczecin, to the mouth of the Vistula River near Gdańsk in the East...

 (today Słupsk, Poland). His family was expelled from his Stolp after World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 and he grew up in Jever

Jever

Jever is the capital of the district of Friesland in Lower Saxony, Germany. The name Jever is usually associated with a major brand of beer which is produced here, the city is also a popular holiday resort. Jever was granted city status in 1536. Unofficially Jever is sometimes referred to as...

, Germany.

After passing his Abitur

Abitur

Abitur is a designation used in Germany, Finland and Estonia for final exams that pupils take at the end of their secondary education, usually after 12 or 13 years of schooling, see also for Germany Abitur after twelve years.The Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife, often referred to as...

 in 1961, he joined the Bundeswehr as an officer cadet in a Panzergrenadier

Panzergrenadier

is a German term for motorised or mechanized infantry, as introduced during World War II. It is used in the armies of Austria, Chile, Germany and Switzerland.-Forerunners:...

 battalion. Stöckmann attended his General Staff Training Course at the Führungsakademie der Bundeswehr

Führungsakademie der Bundeswehr

The Führungsakademie der Bundeswehr is the highest military academy of the German armed forces, the Bundeswehr. Established in 1957, and since 1958 located in Hamburg, it is the successor of the Prussian Military Academy that was established in 1810...

 in 1972 - 1974 and served at the General Army Office. In 1976 - 1978 he attended the General Staff Training Course at the Royal Dutch Military Academy

Koninklijke Militaire Academie

The Royal Military Academy is the service academy for the Dutch Army and the Dutch Air Force. Located in Breda, the Netherlands, the KMA has trained future officers since 1828.-Description:...

 in The Hague

The Hague

The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...

, the Netherlands

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

.

After serving at the Panzergrenadiertroops he became the adjutant of the Chief of Staff of the German Army in 1982 and to the Chief of Staff of the Federal Armed Forces in 1984.

Stöckmann commanded Panzerbrigade 15 in Koblenz

Koblenz

Koblenz is a German city situated on both banks of the Rhine at its confluence with the Moselle, where the Deutsches Eck and its monument are situated.As Koblenz was one of the military posts established by Drusus about 8 BC, the...

 from 1986 to 1989 and became the Head of the Personnel, Training and Leadership Development Department at Army Headquarters in Bonn

Bonn

Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....

. He commanded the 5 Panzerdivision in Diez on the Lahn in 1991-1993 and was promoted to Generalleutnant in 1993, when he was appointed the Chief of Staff and Deputy Commander at the Headquarters of the Allied Land Forces Central Europe in Heidelberg

Heidelberg

-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...

.

In 1996, now in the rank of a General, he became Commander-in-Chief, Allied Forces Central Europe (CINCCENT) and the Chief of Staff of Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe

Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe

Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe is the central command of NATO military forces. It is located at Casteau, north of the Belgian city of Mons...

(SHAPE) on 1 April 1998. On 17 September 2001 Stöckmann was promoted to Deputy Commander, Supreme Allied Command Europe, a position he held until his retirement on 30 September 2002.

He is married and has a son and two daughters.