The association for Dutch veterans that fought in the Korean war VOKS wants Prime Minister Mark Rutte to try and get the remains released of five Dutch soldiers who went missing or were killed in North Korea. "Only then can their family finally say goodbye to their loved ones in a dignified way", VOKS wrote in a letter to the Dutch Prime Minister, the Telegraaf reports.
Dutch soldier
Aug 1 '18 14:20
Jun 13 '18 08:00
The government plans to put an end to the Netherlands' contribution to the the UN military mission in Mali, sources told RTL Nieuws. There are currently 250 Dutch soldiers in the African country.
Apr 13 '18 13:30
No Dutch soldiers will be prosecuted for bombings by the anti-ISIS coalition in Iraq and East Syria in which civilians were killed, the Public Prosecutor decided. The Dutch soldiers did not break the law of war, the the Ministers of Defense and Foreign Affairs wrote in a letter to parliament, RTL Nieuws reports.
The Public Prosecutor investigated four incidents. In none of these incidents did the Dutch soldiers break the law of war, the Ministers wrote.
Apr 5 '18 15:40
Three soldiers accused of various forms of misconduct at the Airmobile Brigade barracks in Scaarsbergen, filed a complaint against State Secretary Barbara Visser of Defense. They believe the State Secretary already publicly condemned them, despite the investigation still being ongoing, AD reports.
Feb 8 '18 11:20
Decorated Dutch soldier Marco Kroon says that he had no choice but to kill a man while on a secret mission in Afghanistan in 2017. He was previously captured and tortured by the man he eventually killed, he said in an interview with newspaper AD. "It was him or me."
Kroon was previously captured by the man and was tortured for information, he said to the newspaper. According to him, he did not reveal anything. After he was released for unknown reasons, he went looking for the man because Kroon wanted to prevent the man endangering the mission.
Dec 27 '17 09:09
The Netherlands' mission in Afghanistan is being hindered by security issues, newspaper AD reports after visiting the Dutch soldiers on the mission with the new Commander of the Armed Forces, Lieutenant Admiral Rob Bauer. Soldiers who advise the local police officers often can't leave their base, there are too few security guards to accompany the advisors and some of them speak very little English, according to the newspaper.
Dec 21 '17 08:08
Bored soldiers at the Oranje barracks in Schaarsbergen regularly entertained themselves with drugs, alcohol and even prostitutes, according to a confidential Defense report from 2015, which the Volkskrant has in its possession.
According to the report, soldiers also damaged or stole considerable amounts of Defense equipment, held 'informal hazing', and there was a high risk of bullying, exclusion and inappropriate sexual behavior.
Nov 2 '17 14:50
State Secretary Barbara Visser of Defense calls on victims of abuses in the Dutch armed forces to come forward, following a report in the Volkskrant about three soldiers who left their unit in Schaarsbergen after being assaulted, bullied, abused and even raped. "Unacceptable. I read the article and had chills. This is not worthy of Defense", the State Secretary said to ANP.
Nov 2 '17 07:54
Three Dutch soldiers left their unit in Schaarsbergen in 2014 because they were assaulted, bullied, extorted, abused and one was raped, the Volkskrant reports. Some of these incidents happened during hazing. Four soldiers from the same unit were punished. One of the victims filed a police declaration about the incidents two weeks ago, according to the newspaper.
Oct 24 '17 09:41
The Ministry of Defense is recalling anti-tank ammunition and smoke grenades from the UN mission in Mali. Inspections done following a damaging report by the Dutch Safety Board about an accidental mortar grenade explosion that killed two Dutch soldiers, showed that these two types of ammunition were also stored at too high temperatures and may not be safe.
Oct 18 '17 10:00
Sint Eustatius politician Clyde van Putten apologized for threatening to kill Dutch soldiers in a speech he made last week. Van Putten said that his previous comments were reprehensible and that he does not want to call for violence. Though he added that his comments were taken out of context by people "with a political agenda" to damage his reputation, NOS reports.
Oct 16 '17 09:45
The Dutch government was fully aware that hijackers would be killed during a military action that put an end to a hostage situation on a train near De Punt in 1977, two former soldiers who were involved in the action told the Volkskrant on Monday. According to the two soldiers, wounded hijackers were unnecessarily executed and the government gave the instructions for, and approved, the attack.
Oct 13 '17 15:50
Clyde van Putten, leader of political party PLP on the Dutch island of Sint Eustatius, threatened to kill and and burn Dutch soldiers in a speech he made on the island. The Dutch government is going to file a declaration with the police against him, Minister Ronald Plasterk of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations announced, the Telegraaf reports
Oct 10 '17 10:50
The Ministry of Defense is launching an investigation into a former soldier being sexually abused in 1982, a spokesperson confirmed to ANP. Ex-soldier Ronald Vreeburg says that he was abused by five other soldiers at the Royal Military school in Weert, Limburg when he was 17 years old.
According to Vreeburg, he reported the abuse to the peloton leadership after it happened, but he was not taken seriously. In 2015 he spoke to the Inspector General of the Armed Forces, and was told that the case was past its statute of limitations, the news wire reports.
Aug 9 '17 16:50
Prime Minister Mark Rutte will be visiting the 270 Dutch soldiers stationed in Rukla, Lithuania on Thursday and Friday. Commander of the Armed Forces Tom Middendorp will accompany him on this visit, NOS reports.
The Dutch troops are part of the NATO force aimed at preventing Russia from taking root in the Baltic states. The soldiers also serve the purpose of reassuring the Eastern European allies.
Rutte's program includes a number of events, including a demonstration by NATO troops and a meeting with Lithuanian president Dalia Grybauskaite.
Jul 18 '17 09:18
Four Dutch soldiers that form part of the NATO battalion in Lithuania, were sent back to the Netherlands after they were arrested for involvement in a drunken fight, according to newspaper Trouw.
May 25 '17 08:06
NATO is joining the coalition fighting against terrorist organization ISIS in Syria and Iraq, the 28 NATO member states decided on Wednesday. The Netherlands will contribute two planes to the fight against Islamic State this year, Ministers Bert Koenders of Foreign Affairs and Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert announced.
May 16 '17 14:25
There will be no new investigation or prosecution in the explosion of a hand grenade in a Dutch army vehicle in Afghanistan in 2010, the Public Prosecutor announced. An analysis by the Koninklijke Marechaussee - a policing force that works as part of the Dutch military - did not reveal any new facts, the Telegraaf reports.
Sep 4 '15 09:53
The Air Force sergeant who is believed to have joined ISIS may have sensitive information on ongoing military missions, as well as personal information on his colleagues currently involved in the the fight against the terrorist organization.
Sep 3 '15 12:20
The Ministry of Defense has reason to believe that an actively serving soldier - a 26 year old sergeant at the Royal Air Force - has left for Syria to join terrorist organization Islamic State.
Mar 3 '15 08:13
A Peshmerga fighter was injured in Erbil in Iraq yesterday after being accidentally shot by a Dutch soldier on a training location, the Ministry of Defense announced on its website.
Jan 23 '15 16:47
The threat level around the United Nations base in Gao, Mali has increased and the threat is "significant," according to the Minister of Defence, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert. Many Dutch troops are stationed in the area supporting the multinational mission, Minusma, to restore security and stability in Mali.
Dec 10 '14 22:13
Three suspects in possession of 35 Skorpion sub-machine guns were arrested on December 2 on Julianasingel in Oss, Noord Brabant. Two of the suspects were residents in Oss, of which one a 29 year-old career soldier. The other suspect is a 49 year-old resident of Oss, the third a 27 year-old Pole, without permanent residence.
Apr 29 '14 08:57
A Dutch carbine rifle from the beginning of the Second World War was dug up in the forest near Leersum on Heuvelrug in Utrecht after being buried for 74 years. The weapon will be given to a museum, the Forestry Commission reports.
