Richard Rossmanith
Encyclopedia
Major General
Richard Rossmanith (born 16 March 1955) is a German Army
officer and currently Deputy Chief of Staff for Stability with the International Security Assistance Force
in Afghanistan.
. After attending studies in electrical engineering at Bundeswehr University of Munich, he became commanding officer of Light Infantry Battalion 112 in 1977, stationed in Regen
, Bavaria
. Between 1981 and 1985, Rossmanith served as a company commander
, taking charge of of the 2nd and later the 4th companies of the Panzergrenadier Battalion, again stationed in Regen.
Following company command, Rossmanith attended the Command and General and Staff Officers' Course in Hamburg
, from which he graduated in 1987. He served in Brussels
, Belgium
, on his first assignment to NATO in 1987, serving as Desk Officer for Politico Military Affairs to the German Military Representative to the Military Committee. Returning to Germany, he served with Armoured Brigade 6, stationed in Hofgeismar
, Hesse
, in 1989, before being appointed Chief of Staff for 4 Panzergrenadier Division, based in Erfurt
, Thuringia
.
He took up his second assignment to NATO in 1991 and served as a branch chief at Headquarters, Allied Forces Baltic Approaches
(BALTAP), in Karup Municipality
, Denmark
, where he served until 1993. He went on to serve in a staff position at the Federal Ministry of Defence
in a variety of staff positions, before taking command of Panzergrenadier Battalion 212 in Augustdorf
, North Rhine-Westphalia
, between 1995 and 1997. In early 1997, he served with the German National Contingent of the NATO-led Stabilisation Force
in the Balkans
, after which he served with the German 7 Armoured Division, based in Düsseldorf
, until 1999.
, and deployed for a second tour in the Balkans, commanding Multinational Brigade Southwest, part of the Kosovo Force. He held the command until 2005, when he was appointed Deputy Director, Policy Planning and Advisory Staff at the Ministry of Defence, after which he became Chairman for Deployable Forces Coordination Group at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe
(SHAPE) until 2009. He then took up his fourth NATO position, as the first-ever Chief of Staff of Deployable Joint Staff Element 1, Allied Land Component Command in Heidelberg
.
He took command of the stability division of the International Security Assistance Force
(ISAF), succeeding Matthieu Borsboom
, in October 2010.
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...
Richard Rossmanith (born 16 March 1955) is a German Army
German Army
The German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
officer and currently Deputy Chief of Staff for Stability with the International Security Assistance Force
International Security Assistance Force
The International Security Assistance Force is a NATO-led security mission in Afghanistan established by the United Nations Security Council on 20 December 2001 by Resolution 1386 as envisaged by the Bonn Agreement...
in Afghanistan.
Military career
Rossmanith joined the Army in 1973, joining a light infantry unit based in MunichMunich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
. After attending studies in electrical engineering at Bundeswehr University of Munich, he became commanding officer of Light Infantry Battalion 112 in 1977, stationed in Regen
Regen
Regen is a town in Bavaria, Germany, capital of the district of Regen.-Division of the town:Originally the town consisted of 4 districts, Bürgerholz, Grubhügel, Riedham and St...
, Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
. Between 1981 and 1985, Rossmanith served as a company commander
Company Commander
A company commander is the commanding officer of a company, a military unit which typically consists of 100 to 350 soldiers, often organized into three or four smaller units called platoons....
, taking charge of of the 2nd and later the 4th companies of the Panzergrenadier Battalion, again stationed in Regen.
Following company command, Rossmanith attended the Command and General and Staff Officers' Course in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, from which he graduated in 1987. He served in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, on his first assignment to NATO in 1987, serving as Desk Officer for Politico Military Affairs to the German Military Representative to the Military Committee. Returning to Germany, he served with Armoured Brigade 6, stationed in Hofgeismar
Hofgeismar
Hofgeismar is a town in the district of Kassel, in northern Hesse, Germany. It is located 25 km north of Kassel on the German Framework Road.-External links:*...
, Hesse
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
, in 1989, before being appointed Chief of Staff for 4 Panzergrenadier Division, based in Erfurt
Erfurt
Erfurt is the capital city of Thuringia and the main city nearest to the geographical centre of Germany, located 100 km SW of Leipzig, 150 km N of Nuremberg and 180 km SE of Hannover. Erfurt Airport can be reached by plane via Munich. It lies in the southern part of the Thuringian...
, Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
.
He took up his second assignment to NATO in 1991 and served as a branch chief at Headquarters, Allied Forces Baltic Approaches
Allied Forces Baltic Approaches
Allied Forces Baltic Approaches was the NATO command with responsibility for the Baltic Sea area. It was in existence from 1962 to 2002.The NATO command Baltic Approaches was created on 8 January 1962, with headquarters in Karup, Denmark...
(BALTAP), in Karup Municipality
Karup municipality
For the airport in Karup, see Karup AirportUntil 1 January 2007 Karup municipality was a municipality in Viborg County on the Jutland peninsula in northern Denmark. The municipality covered an area of 163 km², and had a total population of 6,709...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, where he served until 1993. He went on to serve in a staff position at the Federal Ministry of Defence
Federal Ministry of Defence (Germany)
The Federal Ministry of Defence is a top-level federal agency, headed by the Federal Minister of Defence as a member of the Cabinet of Germany...
in a variety of staff positions, before taking command of Panzergrenadier Battalion 212 in Augustdorf
Augustdorf
Augustdorf is a municipality in the Lippe district of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It has an area of 42.21 km² and c. 10,000 inhabitants.-External links:*...
, North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
, between 1995 and 1997. In early 1997, he served with the German National Contingent of the NATO-led Stabilisation Force
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 the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
, after which he served with the German 7 Armoured Division, based in Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
, until 1999.
High command
Between October 1999 and May 2003, Rossmanith held a variety of staff posts, after which he took command of 9 Armoured Brigade, based in MünsterMünster
Münster is an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also capital of the local government region Münsterland...
, and deployed for a second tour in the Balkans, commanding Multinational Brigade Southwest, part of the Kosovo Force. He held the command until 2005, when he was appointed Deputy Director, Policy Planning and Advisory Staff at the Ministry of Defence, after which he became Chairman for Deployable Forces Coordination Group at 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) until 2009. He then took up his fourth NATO position, as the first-ever Chief of Staff of Deployable Joint Staff Element 1, Allied Land Component Command 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...
.
He took command of the stability division of the International Security Assistance Force
International Security Assistance Force
The International Security Assistance Force is a NATO-led security mission in Afghanistan established by the United Nations Security Council on 20 December 2001 by Resolution 1386 as envisaged by the Bonn Agreement...
(ISAF), succeeding Matthieu Borsboom
Matthieu Borsboom
Vice admiral Matthieu Borsboom is a Royal Netherlands Navy officer who is currently Commander of the Royal Netherlands Navy and has served with the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.-Naval career:...
, in October 2010.