Brigadier General Katrien D’Hert awarded the Dutch Decoration of Merit in Silver

09.07.2025 Strategic Communications

At the end of August 2025, Brigadier General Katrien D’Hert will conclude her tenure as EUMS Logistics Director — a role she has held since February 2023 — to assume her new position as Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff for Resources and Operations in the Belgian Armed Forces.

On Tuesday, 8 July 2025, Brigadier General D’Hert attended an office call with Lieutenant General Michiel van der Laan, Director General of the EUMS. Unbeknownst to her, colleagues from the EUMS, MPCC and invited guests had gathered one floor below for a surprise ceremony in her honour.

The occasion: the presentation of the Dutch Decoration of Merit in Silver to Brigadier General D’Hert.

EUMS

Following the office call, Lieutenant General van der Laan escorted Brigadier General D’Hert downstairs, where she was met with a round of applause from the assembled guests. Among those in attendance were Brigadier General D’Hert’s partner Rally, sons Garin and Jari, Lieutenant General Pierre Gérard, the Belgian Military Representative, Lieutenant General Dick van Ingen, the Dutch Military Representative, Major General Werner Albl, Chief of Staff of the MPCC, as well as fellow Directors and colleagues from the EUMS and MPCC.

On behalf of the Dutch Minister of Defence, Lieutenant General van der Laan presented Brigadier General D’Hert with the Ereteken voor Verdienste in Zilver (Decoration of Merit in Silver). This prestigious medal, awarded by the Dutch Minister of Defence, may be bestowed upon both Dutch and foreign nationals, including posthumously, for exceptional service to the armed forces, acts of individual courage in life-threatening situations, or brave actions during peacetime conflict situations.

In his remarks, Lieutenant General van der Laan highlighted Brigadier General D’Hert’s remarkable contributions to European Military Mobility during her tenure as EUMS Logistics Director.

Note:

The EUMS Logistics Directorate serves as the focal point for all logistics-related matters, contributing vital expertise across strategic planning, crisis response, and operations. It develops key logistic concepts and frameworks that bridge the EU’s political aspirations with operational military realities, ensuring effective logistical support for EU missions and operations and the administrative functioning of both the EUMS and MPCC.