News item | 29-06-2024 | 17:00
Lieutenant General (ret.) Kees Matthijssen has entrusted his personal and military experiences and leadership lessons to paper. Today he presented the first copy of ‘Commandant in vier missies’ to army boss Lieutenant General Jan Swillens. This happened during the Dutch Veterans Day in The Hague.
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Starting out as a conscript, Matthijssen spent his entire 42-year career working in the field of peace and security, learning the full extent of the complexity and dilemmas of military service.
Matthijssen led a company in Srebrenica and was a battalion commander in Iraq. He also led the task force in Afghanistan and was a force commander in Mali. He is the only Dutch soldier who served as a commander at all levels during deployments.
Srebrenica
At the age of 34, the enclave of Srebrenica fell in his presence. Among other things, his fight for the rehabilitation of the veterans of Dutchbat-III led to an apology from Prime Minister Rutte. All Dutchbat-III veterans eventually received a Bronze Medal of Honour for Merit.
For his (inter)national commitment to peace and security, Matthijssen has been awarded the royal distinction of Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau with Swords.
‘Commandant in vier missies’ was published by Kompas and is available at bookstores or online for €23.95. ISBN: 9789492107503.
