Leanne van den Hoek
Encyclopedia
Brigadier General
Leanne van den Hoek (born August 21, 1958 in Rotterdam
) is an officer
of the Royal Netherlands Army
. She is the first woman to hold a flag officer
rank in the Dutch military. She is married, but has chosen not to have any children.
at Breda
as an officer cadet
in 1979.
After her graduation in 1983 she held several operational positions in the area of Military Logistics; these positions had her stationed both in the Netherlands and in Germany. Regarding her choice for military logistics rather than primary combat training, Van den Hoek said that back in 1983 combat positions entailed sitting around all day waiting for the Russians to invade; she didn't think that possibility very likely though, so she was more interested in logistics since an army must always eat – be it in peacetime or at war.
She continued her military education in 1993, enrolling in the Hogere Militaire Vorming. Completing the training in 1994, she was assigned her first command position with the 41st Mechanized Brigade in Seedorf
. She held this command until 1996, when she enrolled in the German Führungsakademie
. Following this general staff training, she was assigned to the Army Staff in The Hague
.
Van den Hoek set a first on July 17, 2001 when she became the first female battalion
commander
in the Royal Netherlands Army
. She commanded the 200th Supply and Transport Battalion at Nunspeet
and 't Harde
. Promoted to colonel
, she later became Director of the Defense Institute for Medical Screening and Selection.
On November 1, 2005 the Dutch State Secretary of Defence
Cees van der Knaap
promoted Van den Hoek to the rank of brigadier general
. This made General Van den Hoek the first female flag officer of the Dutch military. She has been commanding officer
of the Army Personnel Department since.
; she was part of the Dutch national team and participated in the precision skydiving world championships. She made a total of 1540 jumps before a karting accident in 2000 caused her a whiplash
injury. This forced her to give up parachuting. She now plays golf instead.
, she got slightly irritated and responded "What's a glass ceiling?"
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Leanne van den Hoek (born August 21, 1958 in Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
) is an officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
of the Royal Netherlands Army
Royal Netherlands Army
The Royal Netherlands Army is the land forces element of the military of the Netherlands.-Short history:The Royal Netherlands Army was raised on 9 January 1814, but its origins date back to 1572, when the so-called Staatse Leger was raised...
. She is the first woman to hold a flag officer
Flag Officer
A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark where the officer exercises command. The term usually refers to the senior officers in an English-speaking nation's navy, specifically those who hold any of the admiral ranks; in...
rank in the Dutch military. She is married, but has chosen not to have any children.
Biography
Van den Hoek originally wanted to be a police officer, which was her childhood dream. However, she was refused for training due to poor eyesight. She therefore applied to the military academy instead, where she passed military physical selection (just; in 1979 the Dutch military still used the same physical criteria for men as for women), despite being slightly short (1.65 meter). Van den Hoek enrolled in the Koninklijke Militaire AcademieKoninklijke 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:...
at Breda
Breda
Breda is a municipality and a city in the southern part of the Netherlands. The name Breda derived from brede Aa and refers to the confluence of the rivers Mark and Aa. As a fortified city, the city was of strategic military and political significance...
as an officer cadet
Cadet
A cadet is a trainee to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. The term comes from the term "cadet" for younger sons of a noble family.- Military context :...
in 1979.
After her graduation in 1983 she held several operational positions in the area of Military Logistics; these positions had her stationed both in the Netherlands and in Germany. Regarding her choice for military logistics rather than primary combat training, Van den Hoek said that back in 1983 combat positions entailed sitting around all day waiting for the Russians to invade; she didn't think that possibility very likely though, so she was more interested in logistics since an army must always eat – be it in peacetime or at war.
She continued her military education in 1993, enrolling in the Hogere Militaire Vorming. Completing the training in 1994, she was assigned her first command position with the 41st Mechanized Brigade in Seedorf
Seedorf, Lower Saxony
Seedorf is a municipality in the district of Rotenburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
. She held this command until 1996, when she enrolled in the German Führungsakademie
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...
. Following this general staff training, she was assigned to the Army Staff 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...
.
Van den Hoek set a first on July 17, 2001 when she became the first female battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
in the Royal Netherlands Army
Royal Netherlands Army
The Royal Netherlands Army is the land forces element of the military of the Netherlands.-Short history:The Royal Netherlands Army was raised on 9 January 1814, but its origins date back to 1572, when the so-called Staatse Leger was raised...
. She commanded the 200th Supply and Transport Battalion at Nunspeet
Nunspeet
Nunspeet is a municipality and town in the central Netherlands. It has been an agricultural site since prehistoric times. It contains a number of villages, like Oosteinde, Westeinde, Hulshorst, Elspeet, Vierhouten and Hoophuizen. Nunspeet has a vivid historical foundation, called Nuwenspete...
and 't Harde
't Harde
t Harde is a town about 6 km southeast of Elburg, on the edge of the Veluwe forest in the Netherlands. It has a train station with connections to Zwolle and Amersfoort. The village's population is approximately 6000 people.-History:...
. Promoted to colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
, she later became Director of the Defense Institute for Medical Screening and Selection.
On November 1, 2005 the Dutch State Secretary of Defence
Ministry of Defence (Netherlands)
The Netherlands Ministry of Defence governs the Netherlands Armed Forces. The Minister is assisted by a State Secretary...
Cees van der Knaap
Cees van der Knaap
Cornelis van der Knaap is a Dutch politician. He was State Secretary for Defense for the Christian Democratic Appeal .- Biography :...
promoted Van den Hoek to the rank of brigadier general
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
. This made General Van den Hoek the first female flag officer of the Dutch military. She has been commanding officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
of the Army Personnel Department since.
Outside the military
Van den Hoek is an enthusiastic athlete. Prior to 2000 she was an avid skydiverSkydiver
A skydiver is a person who engages in the sport of parachuting. It may also refer to:* SkyDiver a futuristic submarine featured in the TV series UFO* "Skydiver" a carnival ride produced by Chance Morgan...
; she was part of the Dutch national team and participated in the precision skydiving world championships. She made a total of 1540 jumps before a karting accident in 2000 caused her a whiplash
Whiplash (medicine)
Whiplash is a non-medical term describing a range of injuries to the neck caused by or related to a sudden distortion of the neck associated with extension. The term "whiplash" is a colloquialism...
injury. This forced her to give up parachuting. She now plays golf instead.
Anekdotes
Upon being promoted battalion commander in 2001, Van den Hoek was interviewed on the radio. When asked whether she, as a woman in the military, was hampered by the glass ceilingGlass ceiling
In economics, the term glass ceiling refers to "the unseen, yet unbreachable barrier that keeps minorities and women from rising to the upper rungs of the corporate ladder, regardless of their qualifications or achievements." Initially, the metaphor applied to barriers in the careers of women but...
, she got slightly irritated and responded "What's a glass ceiling?"