Commander's New Year's Address 2012, a defining year

Commander 1 (GE/NL) Corps, Lieutenant General Ton van Loon, addressed his soldiers during the annual New Year’s Address in the auditorium of the Prince Claus Barracks on Wednesday 18 January. 

After welcoming everybody back and wishing comrades on mission and their families a Happy New Year too, Van Loon reflected on 2011 and looked ahead to 2012.

Amongst other things, the Commander mentioned the successful project COMMON EFFORT, ‘which was for all of us at the centre of our attention with our aim to put the Comprehensive Approach into practice at our level.’ 
Furthermore, Van Loon declared that ‘exercises COLD CHALLENGE and ODYSSEE SWORD demonstrated once again that our role as a training provider is necessary and important and that our efforts are very much appreciated by the training audience; always driven by the aim to be prepared as good as possible for a mission.’

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2012

“Let me be clear on this: 2012 will be a defining year, a busy and challenging year; not only for us but also for EU and NATO. I am confident that we will master the tasks lying ahead of us and that we are marching in the right direction together”, Commander 1 (GE/NL) Corps started. 

Van Loon continued: “However, we need to make sure that we remain relevant and we need to show the nations why this HQ has a real added value - especially at a time when nothing can be taken for granted.  I am confident that, as we endeavour in progressing to implement our Corps Vision, we remain relevant, ready, responsive and receptive. I want us to tackle all the upcoming challenges together. If we do, we all have so much to gain, both personally and as a HQ.”