Wim Robberecht

Wim Robberecht (born 1962, Kortrijk) is a Belgian naval officer who holds the rank of divisional admiral and since 2016 has served as the commander of the Belgian Navy (Marine Component).

Wim Robberecht
Born1962
Kortrijk, Belgium
Allegiance Belgium
Service/branch Belgian Navy
Years of service1980–present
Rank Divisional admiral

Biography

Robberecht was born in 1962 in the city of Kortrijk, joining the Royal Military Academy in 1980. During his time there, he was awarded the Sword of His Majesty the King, a decoration for outstanding students.[1] He finished in 1985 and served on minesweeping/hunting vessels before assuming command of the M484 Dinant. He then attended the Dutch-Belgian joint Operational School in Den Helder from 1988 to 1990, when he was appointed flag lieutenant to the chief of naval staff. Robberecht then served as the head of the operational section aboard the frigate Wandelaar, taking part in the NATO blockade of Yugoslavia. In 1996 he commanded the minehunter Aster and later the Narcis. Following a course at a NATO school in Oberammergau, Germany, he held various staff positions in the Belgian armed forces. Robberecht completed the Maritime Warfare Course in the United Kingdom and then went on to command the frigates Westdiep and Wielingen, before attending the Royal Defense College in Brussels in 2002. After his graduation from there, he served on the human resources department of the Joint Staff and as director of naval education, becoming chief of staff to the Chief of Defence in 2005.[2]

He served as the first commander of the frigate Leopold I, which Belgium acquired from the Royal Netherlands Navy in 2007, and commanded it during a UN mission near Lebanon. In 2010 he completed additional studies at the Royal Defense College and the Management Training Center in Paris of the French Ministry of Defense. Robberecht was appointed Director Maritime Operations within the Marine Component in 2011 and also served on the operations staff of Admiral Benelux (the commanding officer of the integrated Dutch and Belgian naval commands).[2]

In September 2016, Divisional Admiral Robberecht was appointed as the Commander of the Marine Component, succeeding Georges Heeren.[3]

Personal life

Robberecht is married and has three children.[2]

Awards

Robberecht is the recipient of the following awards:[2][1]

  Officer of the Order of Leopold
  Commander of the Order of the Crown
  Military Cross, First Class
  Commemorative Medal for Foreign Operations or Missions
Sword of His Majesty the King

Sources
  1. SWORDS OF THE KING - Table of Honor. Royal Military Academy official website. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  2. Rear Admiral (upper half) ROBBERECHT Wim. Chens.eu. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  3. Admiral Wim Robberecht is the new Chief of the Belgian Navy. Navyrecognition.com. Published 19 September 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
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