General Gaston Reinig
Chief of Defence – Luxembourg
2008
Gaston REINIG was born on November 17th, 1956 in Diekirch, Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg. After highschool graduation in Diekirch, he volunteered as an army officer in the Luxembourg Army. He entered the Royal Military Academy (“Ecole Royale Militaire”) in Brussels, Belgium in 1976, August 17th.as a student in the 116th All Weapons Class. After graduation in social and military sciences in 1980, he was assigned to the Military Training Centre (MTC) in Diekirch.
He finished his basic military studies in the French Infantry School (“Ecole d’Application de l’Infanterie”) in Montpellier, France from 1981 to 1982.
From 1982 to 1998, he went through the following assignments at the Military Training Centre : rifle platoon leader, platoon leader of basic training, infantry company commander, scout and support company commander, personnel officer, logistics officer and finally deputy commander of the MTC.
From 1984 to 1987, he assumed also command of the Luxembourg contingent assigned to the multinational brigade of NATO Allied Command Europe Mobile Force Land (AMF (L)).
From 1992 to 1995, he assumed also the function of the national representative in the finance, logistics and administrative committees of the NATO Maintenance and Supply Organisation (NAMSO) located in Capellen, Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg.
During the Luxembourg Presidency of the European Union in 1997, he assumed the function of Deputy Head of Command, Control and Communications Division in the headquarters of the “European Community Monitoring Mission” (ECMM) in Sarajevo in Bosnia Herzegovina.
On the July 1st, 1998, he took over the function of Luxembourg’s Permanent Military Representative to the Military Committee of NATO, and on the 31st of March 2000, in addition the functions of Military Delegate to the Permanent Council to Western European Union (WEU) and Permanent Military Representative to the Military Committee of European Union (EU).
On January 28th, 2002, he took command of the Military Center of Diekirch, the Operational Center of Luxembourg Armed Forces.
On January, 11th, 2008, he is designated by the council of ministers to become chief of staff. He took up his duties on January, 15th 2008. He was promoted general in March 2008.
During those years, his training and education were completed by the following courses:
| 1983: | Forward Air Controller (FAC) and Air Liaison Officer (ALO) course in Fürstenfeldbrück, Germany |
| 1984: | Company commander course in the Infantry School (“Ecole d’Infanterie”) in Arlon, Belgium |
| 1987: | Staff course in the Staff College (“Ecole d’Etat-major”) in Compiègne, France (“Diplôme d’Etat-major”) |
| 1991-1992: | General Staff course in the General Staff College (“Ecole Supérieure de Guerre Interarmées”) in Paris, France (“Brevet d’Etudes Militaires Supérieures”) |
| 1997: | “Institut des Hautes Etudes de Défense Nationale” in Strasbourg, France (“Auditeur militaire”) |
| 2007: | Senior Executives in National and International Security, John F Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA (US) |
National decorations:
- Commandeur dans l’Ordre de Mérite civil et militaire Adolphe de Nassau
- Commandeur dans l'Ordre Grand-Ducal de la Couronne de Chêne
- Grand Officier dans l'Ordre du Mérite du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg
- Croix d'Honneur et de Mérite militaire en bronze
- Croix de 25 années de service
- Médaille commémorative du Mariage de LL.AA.RR. le Grand-Duc héritier et la Grande-Duchesse héritière.
International decorations:
- Verdienstkreuz am Bande des Verdienstordens der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (1988)
- ECMM Medal for Service with the European Community Monitor Mission (1997)
- The Army Commendation Medal (2006)
- Commandant 1ère classe de l’Ordre du Lion de Finlande (2008)
- Ordine Al Merito Della Repubblica italiana Grande Ufficiale (2009)
- Commandeur dans l’Ordre de la Légion d’honneur (2010)