Volker Wieker
Encyclopedia
Volker Wieker is the Chief of Staff (Generalinspekteur) of the Bundeswehr
, the German armed forces. As the highest ranking officer of the Bundeswehr he is the government's chief military adviser and the general ultimately in charge of its operations. Trained as an artillery officer, General
Wieker served in every major foreign Bundeswehr deployment since 1996, including Bosnia
, Kosovo
and Afghanistan
.
and joined the Bundeswehr in 1974 for officer training in the army's artillery branch.
He studied Geodesy
at the Bundeswehr University of Munich and served as an officer in an armored artillery battalion in Wildeshausen
. He passed his General Staff training at the Führungsakademie der Bundeswehr
(Hamburg
) in 1989, followed by the US Army's Command and General Staff Officer Course at Fort Leavenworth
, Kansas
. Upon his return to Germany, he was assigned as the operations officer of an armored brigade in Augustdorf
.
Following battalion command with an armored artillery battalion in 1993-96, Wieker was deployed as the operations and training officer for the German Army Contingent IFOR
in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Upon his return, he was assigned to the Federal Ministry of Defence (Germany)
in Bonn as Military Assistant of the Federal Minister of Defence (1997–1999). In 1999, he led a ministerial task force on the future force structure of the German Army, before taking command of an armored infantry brigade in Schwerin
later that year.
From May to December 2001 Wieker deployed to Kosovo
as Commander, Multinational Brigade South and Commander of the 3rd German KFOR
contingent.
In 2002, he became Chief of Staff of the Army Office in Cologne
, followed by Chief of Staff in the Army Staff in 2004. In July 2008, Wieker took command of the 1st GE/NL Corps
in Münster
. Since 9 October 2009 Wieker served as Chief of Staff of ISAF
in Kabul
, Afghanistan
.
On 18 December 2009 German Minister of Defence Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg
announced his intention to appoint Wieker Chief of Staff (Generalinspekteur) of the Bundeswehr. Two days after his promotion to four-star general on 19 January 2010, Wieker was formally appointed Chief of Staff of the Bundeswehr.
Volker Wieker is married and has two children.
Bundeswehr
The Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities...
, the German armed forces. As the highest ranking officer of the Bundeswehr he is the government's chief military adviser and the general ultimately in charge of its operations. Trained as an artillery officer, 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....
Wieker served in every major foreign Bundeswehr deployment since 1996, including Bosnia
IFOR
The Implementation Force was a NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force in Bosnia and Herzegovina under a one-year mandate from 20 December 1995 to 20 December 1996 under the codename Operation Joint Endeavour. Its task was to implement the military Annexes of The General Framework Agreement for...
, Kosovo
KFOR
The Kosovo Force is a NATO-led international peacekeeping force responsible for establishing a secure environment in Kosovo.KFOR entered Kosovo on 12 June 1999 under a United Nations mandate, two days after the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1244...
and Afghanistan
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...
.
Biography
Wieker was born in DelmenhorstDelmenhorst
Delmenhorst is an urban district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It has a population of 74,500 and is located 10 km/6 miles west of downtown Bremen with which it forms a contiguous urban area, whereas the city of Oldenburg is 25 km/15 miles to the northwest. The city has a total area of 62.36 km²...
and joined the Bundeswehr in 1974 for officer training in the army's artillery branch.
He studied Geodesy
Geodesy
Geodesy , also named geodetics, a branch of earth sciences, is the scientific discipline that deals with the measurement and representation of the Earth, including its gravitational field, in a three-dimensional time-varying space. Geodesists also study geodynamical phenomena such as crustal...
at the Bundeswehr University of Munich and served as an officer in an armored artillery battalion in Wildeshausen
Wildeshausen
Wildeshausen is a town and the capital of the Oldenburg district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated by the river Hunte.-History:...
. He passed his General Staff training 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...
(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...
) in 1989, followed by the US Army's Command and General Staff Officer Course at Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth is a United States Army facility located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, immediately north of the city of Leavenworth in the upper northeast portion of the state. It is the oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C. and has been in operation for over 180 years...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
. Upon his return to Germany, he was assigned as the operations officer of an armored brigade 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:*...
.
Following battalion command with an armored artillery battalion in 1993-96, Wieker was deployed as the operations and training officer for the German Army Contingent IFOR
IFOR
The Implementation Force was a NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force in Bosnia and Herzegovina under a one-year mandate from 20 December 1995 to 20 December 1996 under the codename Operation Joint Endeavour. Its task was to implement the military Annexes of The General Framework Agreement for...
in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Upon his return, he was assigned to the Federal Ministry of Defence (Germany)
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 Bonn as Military Assistant of the Federal Minister of Defence (1997–1999). In 1999, he led a ministerial task force on the future force structure of the German Army, before taking command of an armored infantry brigade in Schwerin
Schwerin
Schwerin is the capital and second-largest city of the northern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The population, as of end of 2009, was 95,041.-History:...
later that year.
From May to December 2001 Wieker deployed to Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
as Commander, Multinational Brigade South and Commander of the 3rd German KFOR
KFOR
The Kosovo Force is a NATO-led international peacekeeping force responsible for establishing a secure environment in Kosovo.KFOR entered Kosovo on 12 June 1999 under a United Nations mandate, two days after the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1244...
contingent.
In 2002, he became Chief of Staff of the Army Office in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, followed by Chief of Staff in the Army Staff in 2004. In July 2008, Wieker took command of the 1st GE/NL Corps
I. German/Dutch Corps
1 German/Netherlands Corps is a multinational formation consisting of units from both the Royal Dutch Army and German Army. It is also part of NATO's Response Force, a military force consisting of approximately 25,000 troops. The Corps' headquarters are situated in Münster , formerly the...
in Münster
Münster
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...
. Since 9 October 2009 Wieker served as Chief of Staff of ISAF
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 Kabul
Kabul
Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.
On 18 December 2009 German Minister of Defence Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg
Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg
Karl-Theodor Freiherr zu Guttenberg is a German politician of the Christian Social Union ....
announced his intention to appoint Wieker Chief of Staff (Generalinspekteur) of the Bundeswehr. Two days after his promotion to four-star general on 19 January 2010, Wieker was formally appointed Chief of Staff of the Bundeswehr.
Volker Wieker is married and has two children.