Admiral Rob Bauer begins his tenure as Chair of the NATO Military Committee
Today, 25 June 2021, Admiral Rob Bauer of the Royal Netherlands Navy took over as Chair of the NATO Military Committee. Elected in October 2020, Admiral Bauer begins his three-year tenure just one week after the Brussels Summit with Heads of State and Government.
With the ambitious NATO 2030 agenda agreed, the Chair will be guiding the Military Committee to provide unfeterred military advice so that the decisions taken to strengthen political consultations, reinforce collective defence, enhance resilience, sharpen NATO’s technological edge, uphold the rules-based international order, step up training and capacity building for partners, address the security impact of climate change, as well as assist in the development of NATO’s next Strategic Concept for the Summit in 2022.
Speaking during his inaugural address to the Military Committee, Admiral Bauer stressed, “We need to ensure NATO’s responsiveness, readiness and reinforcement. Not only for the 30 countries of the Alliance, but especially for the 3.2 million men and women in uniform who serve it. They are the ones who will have to deal with the consequences of our advice and our decisions. We serve them, as they serve our alliance.”
As the Alliance adapts for the future, the Military Committee will ensure that it continues to be the essential link between the political decision-making process and the military structure of NATO, translating political decision and guidance into military direction, and for recommending measures considered necessary for the defence of the NATO area.
In this time of political power shifts and increasingly complex security threats, Admiral Bauer strives to be a catalyst between NATO’s military leaders: ”As Chair, I will strive to unify north, south, east and west, large and small.”