Change of Command Ceremony

28 June 2023, European Gendarmerie Force Change of Command Ceremony, at “Generale Antonio Chinotto” barracks in Vicenza (Italy).

In the marvelous Campus hosting the Stability Policing Hub (CoESPU, NATO SP CoE and, indeed, EUROGENDFOR), Colonel Paulo Gonçalves (Guarda Nacional Republicana of Portugal) handed over the command of the EUROGENDFOR Permanent Headquarters to Colonel Hans Vroegh (Koninklijke Marechaussee of The Netherlands).
The ceremony was attended by many international, national, regional, and provincial authorities and guests. Everybody had the opportunity to admire the foot formation deployed for the occasion and composed as follows: the EUROGENDFOR Flag, the Carabinieri Warrant Officer School’s band of Florence, and three EUROGENDFOR platoons composed of all the Countries involved and the Mestre Carabinieri Battalion.
The event was presided over by the Italian Presidency of the High-Level Interdepartmental Committee (CIMIN): in particular, Lieutenant General Riccardo Galletta (Italian Carabinieri Deputy Commanding General) reviewed the international troops formation along with the outgoing EUROGENDFOR Commander before laying with him a laurel wreath in honor of the fallen comrades.
Furthermore, the ceremony was particularly engaging and with a special glimpse due to the presence of the delegations from the 9 Countries that, in various capacities, represent the European Gendarmerie Force all around the world.
The EUROGENDFOR is a concrete example of cooperation among seven European Countries (France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, and Spain – plus Lithuania as a “partner” member and Turkey as an “observer” member), which have made available for the international community, a multinational police structure to be deployed mainly in peace support operations, outside the borders of the European Union.
Currently, 11 missions are deployed under the EUROGENDFOR aegis in three different continents (Africa, Asia, and Europe – not EU) and 10 countries: EUBAM Libya, MINUSMA Mali, EUCAP Sahel Mali, EUCAP SAHEL Niger, EUAM Africa Central Republic, EUTM Mozambique, EUCAP Somalia, EUPOL Palestine, EUAM Ukraine, EUFOR ALTHEA Bosnia and Herzegovina and EULEX Kosovo.
The EUROGENDFOR Staff sincerely thanks Colonel Paulo Gonçalves for his commitments and dedication performed during his two-year tour of duty and wishes him all the best for his future commitments.
A very warm welcome to Colonel Hans Vroegh for his new assignment as the EUROGENDFOR PHQ Commander!