Peter van Uhm
Encyclopedia
General
Petrus J.M. "Peter" van Uhm (born 15 July 1955 in Nijmegen) is a four-star general
in the Royal Netherlands Army
and the current Chief of the Netherlands Defence Staff
(CDS). He was promoted to this position from Commander of the Royal Netherlands Army
(C-LAS) and succeeded Dick Berlijn
on April 17, 2008.
. He was first attracted to a career in the army
in high school, where he heard stories about the liberation of Nijmegen in 1944. He enrolled at the Koninklijke Militaire Academie
in Breda
in 1972, attending the Infantry officer training course
. He completed his training within the required four years and was posted to the 48th Mechanised Infantry Battalion in 's-Hertogenbosch in 1976. He served there until 1982, with a short break in 1978 during which he served as a platoon commander at the Royal Military School in Weert
. In 1982 Van Uhm was reassigned to the 43rd Mechanised Infantry Battalion as a Company Commander for Company A; he was deployed to Lebanon
in this role in 1983 as part of the UNIFIL mission. Returning to The Netherlands a captain (NATO OF-2), he was posted the 48th Armoured Infantry Battalion for a short stint.
From 1984 to 1986 Van Uhm attended the Staff Service and Advanced Military Studies courses at the Royal Netherlands Army Staff College at The Hague
. Following this (and a promotion to major
(OF-3)) he was assigned to the First Division staff as deputy Head of Operations. He then held the position of Head of the Training Policy Office at the Royal Netherlands Army Staff and (following promotion to lieutenant-colonel or OF-4) Head of the Training Section.
In 1991 Van Uhm spent some time working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a liaison officer, aiding in the preparation of the European Community Monitoring Mission (ECMM). Following that he served as head of the Plans Division at the staff of Dutch First Corps. In 1994, following the creation of the Dutch 11th Infantry Battalion Air Assault Brigade
, Van Uhm was appointed Battalion Commander of their Grenadiers and Rifles Guards. He served there for a year, until his promotion to full colonel
(OF-5) in 1995, when he was transferred to the Personal Office of the Commander of the Royal Netherlands Army, as Head of the Office. He then served as Head of the General Policy Division of the Army Staff and then as Head of the Military-Strategic Affairs Division of the Defense Staff.
At the turn of the millennium Van Uhm, now a brigadier general
(OF-6) was assigned to headquarters of the Stabilisation Force SFOR
in Sarajevo
as Assistant Chief of Staff for Joint Military Affairs. Despite the failing of that mission, Van Uhm assumed command of the entire 11th Air Assault Brigade in July 2001 and of the 11th Air Manoeuvre Brigade following that (the Air Manoeuvre Brigade was a combined force consisting of the Air Assault Brigade and the Tactical Helicopter Group).
Completing two years as a commander with the Air Assault Brigade, Van Uhm was subsequently assigned Deputy Director of Policy and Planning with the Royal Dutch Army staff in 2003. He was made Director (with a promotion to major general
or OF-7) in July 2004. He held this position until July 8, 2005, when he succeeded major general Leen Noordzij as commanding officer of Operational Command ‘December 7’. This was followed shortly, on September 5, 2005 by promotion to Commander of the Royal Netherlands Army
(Commandant der Landstrijdkrachten or C-LAS). Commensurate with this office he was promoted to lieutenant general
(OF-8) and held the post until March 13, 2008, when he was succeeded by lieutenant general Rob Bertholee
. He was awarded the Bronzen Soldaat at that time, for his exceptional service to the army.
On April 17, 2008, Peter van Uhm was promoted to full general
and assigned Chief of the Netherlands Defence Staff
.
Dennis van Uhm was killed in a roadside bombing in Uruzgan, the southern province of Afghanistan. A spokesman for the Taliban said that militants had known about his movements and had targeted him. The Dutch government rejected this claim. Prime Minister
Jan Peter Balkenende
said in The Hague
: "Our information is that there is no indication of any link between this cowardly deed and the fact that it was the son of the defense chief."
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Petrus J.M. "Peter" van Uhm (born 15 July 1955 in Nijmegen) is a four-star general
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
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...
and the current Chief of the Netherlands Defence Staff
Chief of the Netherlands Defence Staff
The Chief of the Netherlands Defence Staff is the Dutch Chief of Defence and the highest-ranking officer in the Dutch military.The main role of the CDS is as an intermediary between the Minister of Defence and the Armed Forces of The Netherlands...
(CDS). He was promoted to this position from Commander of the Royal Netherlands Army
Commander of the Royal Netherlands Army
The Commander of the Royal Netherlands Army is the executive commander of the Royal Netherlands Army and reports directly to the Commander of the Armed Forces . The Commander of the Royal Netherlands Army is statutorily a three-star general...
(C-LAS) and succeeded Dick Berlijn
Dick Berlijn
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...
on April 17, 2008.
Biography
Van Uhm was born in 1955 in the Dutch city of Nijmegen, the son of a bakerBaker
A baker is someone who bakes and sells bread, Cakes and similar foods may also be produced, as the traditional boundaries between what is produced by a baker as opposed to a pastry chef have blurred in recent decades...
. He was first attracted to a career in the 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...
in high school, where he heard stories about the liberation of Nijmegen in 1944. He enrolled at the Koninklijke Militaire Academie
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 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...
in 1972, attending the Infantry officer training course
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
. He completed his training within the required four years and was posted to the 48th Mechanised Infantry Battalion in 's-Hertogenbosch in 1976. He served there until 1982, with a short break in 1978 during which he served as a platoon commander at the Royal Military School in Weert
Weert
Weert is a municipality and city in the southeastern Netherlands. As of 2010, Weert had a population of 48,405. It lies on the Eindhoven–Maastricht railway line, and is also astride the Zuid-Willemsvaart canal.- Population centres :* Altweerterheide...
. In 1982 Van Uhm was reassigned to the 43rd Mechanised Infantry Battalion as a Company Commander for Company A; he was deployed to Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
in this role in 1983 as part of the UNIFIL mission. Returning to The Netherlands a captain (NATO OF-2), he was posted the 48th Armoured Infantry Battalion for a short stint.
From 1984 to 1986 Van Uhm attended the Staff Service and Advanced Military Studies courses at the Royal Netherlands Army Staff College at 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...
. Following this (and a promotion to major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
(OF-3)) he was assigned to the First Division staff as deputy Head of Operations. He then held the position of Head of the Training Policy Office at the Royal Netherlands Army Staff and (following promotion to lieutenant-colonel or OF-4) Head of the Training Section.
In 1991 Van Uhm spent some time working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a liaison officer, aiding in the preparation of the European Community Monitoring Mission (ECMM). Following that he served as head of the Plans Division at the staff of Dutch First Corps. In 1994, following the creation of the Dutch 11th Infantry Battalion Air Assault Brigade
11 Luchtmobiele Brigade
The 11 Luchtmobiele Brigade '7 December is the elite rapid-reaction air assault unit of the Royal Netherlands Army. Its operators are trained to be deployed via helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft , and can be deployed anywhere in the world within 7 to maximally 20 days...
, Van Uhm was appointed Battalion Commander of their Grenadiers and Rifles Guards. He served there for a year, until his promotion to full 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...
(OF-5) in 1995, when he was transferred to the Personal Office of the Commander of the Royal Netherlands Army, as Head of the Office. He then served as Head of the General Policy Division of the Army Staff and then as Head of the Military-Strategic Affairs Division of the Defense Staff.
At the turn of the millennium Van Uhm, now a 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...
(OF-6) was assigned to headquarters of the Stabilisation Force SFOR
SFOR
The Stabilisation Force was a NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force in Bosnia and Herzegovina which was tasked with upholding the Dayton Agreement. It replaced the previous force IFOR...
in Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
as Assistant Chief of Staff for Joint Military Affairs. Despite the failing of that mission, Van Uhm assumed command of the entire 11th Air Assault Brigade in July 2001 and of the 11th Air Manoeuvre Brigade following that (the Air Manoeuvre Brigade was a combined force consisting of the Air Assault Brigade and the Tactical Helicopter Group).
Completing two years as a commander with the Air Assault Brigade, Van Uhm was subsequently assigned Deputy Director of Policy and Planning with the Royal Dutch Army staff in 2003. He was made Director (with a promotion to major general
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
or OF-7) in July 2004. He held this position until July 8, 2005, when he succeeded major general Leen Noordzij as commanding officer of Operational Command ‘December 7’. This was followed shortly, on September 5, 2005 by promotion to Commander of the Royal Netherlands Army
Commander of the Royal Netherlands Army
The Commander of the Royal Netherlands Army is the executive commander of the Royal Netherlands Army and reports directly to the Commander of the Armed Forces . The Commander of the Royal Netherlands Army is statutorily a three-star general...
(Commandant der Landstrijdkrachten or C-LAS). Commensurate with this office he was promoted to lieutenant general
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
(OF-8) and held the post until March 13, 2008, when he was succeeded by lieutenant general Rob Bertholee
Rob Bertholee
Lieutenant General Rob A.C. Bertholee is an officer of the Royal Netherlands Army. He is currently the Commander of the Royal Netherlands Army. He has a wife and one daughter.-Military career:...
. He was awarded the Bronzen Soldaat at that time, for his exceptional service to the army.
On April 17, 2008, Peter van Uhm was promoted to full general
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
and assigned Chief of the Netherlands Defence Staff
Chief of the Netherlands Defence Staff
The Chief of the Netherlands Defence Staff is the Dutch Chief of Defence and the highest-ranking officer in the Dutch military.The main role of the CDS is as an intermediary between the Minister of Defence and the Armed Forces of The Netherlands...
.
Loss of Van Uhm's son
Van Uhm's promotion to CDS was accompanied by personal tragedy as, on 18 April 2008 his son First LieutenantLieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
Dennis van Uhm was killed in a roadside bombing in Uruzgan, the southern province of Afghanistan. A spokesman for the Taliban said that militants had known about his movements and had targeted him. The Dutch government rejected this claim. Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Jan Peter Balkenende
Jan Peter Balkenende
Jan Pieter "Jan Peter" Balkenende is a Dutch politician of the party Christian Democratic Appeal .He was the Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 22 July 2002 until 14 October 2010, having led four coalition governments, cabinets Balkenende I, II, III and IV, none of which served a full...
said 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...
: "Our information is that there is no indication of any link between this cowardly deed and the fact that it was the son of the defense chief."
Commendations
- Remembrance Medal UN Peace Keeping Missions
- Remembrance Medal Multinational Peace Keeping Missions
- Remembrance Medal Peace Keeping Missions
- Commendation for Lengthy Service as an Officer
- Dutch Army medal
- Medal of Capability from the Dutch Olympic Committee
- Medal of the United Nations Interim Force In LebanonUnited Nations Interim Force in LebanonThe United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, or UNIFIL, was created by the United Nations, with the adoption of Security Council Resolution 425 and 426 on 19 March 1978, to confirm Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon which Israel had invaded five days prior, restore international peace and security,...
- NATO MedalNATO MedalThe NATO Medal is an international military decoration which is awarded to various militaries of the world under the authority of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization . It is manufactured by Eekelers - Centini, International, of Hemiksem, Belgium...
(former YugoslaviaYugoslaviaYugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
) - Legion of HonorLégion d'honneurThe Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
(FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
) - Military campaign medalMédaille commémorative françaiseThe French military campaign decoration or Médaille commémorative française is an award that is intended to distinguish the civilians and soldiers who took part in missions carried out outside of French national territory after March 1, 1991...
(France) - Order of the MeritOrder of the Merit of ChileThe Order of the Merit of Chile is a Chilean military decoration and was created in 1929. Succeeding the Medal of the Merit, it was created during the term of the President Germán Riesco through the Minister of War decree No. 1350 on September 4, 1906...
(ChileChileChile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
) - Order of the Polar StarOrder of the Polar StarThe Order of the Polar Star is a Swedish order of chivalry created by King Frederick I of Sweden on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the Sword and the Order of the Seraphim....
(SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
)
External links
- Commandant der Strijdkrachten Generaal P.J.M. van Uhm English curriculum vitae (PDF), Ministry of DefenceMinistry of Defence (Netherlands)The Netherlands Ministry of Defence governs the Netherlands Armed Forces. The Minister is assisted by a State Secretary...