Willemstad:--- During a military ceremony on Monday morning, November 3, 2025, Company Rotation 49 handed over its tasks to the next unit, Rotation 50. The new commander, Captain Roderik Willems from Schaarsbergen, took over command from his predecessor, Major Marco Kamphorst, during a traditional handover ceremony.
After more than four intensive months in the Caribbean, Major Marco Kamphorst looks back with pride on the collaboration and training of the 43rd Brigade Reconnaissance Squadron (BVE) from Havelte. For this deployment, 43rd BVE was reinforced with an engineer reconnaissance platoon from Wezep and two medical evacuation groups from Havelte. “For the unit, it was a unique opportunity to train in this tropical climate and collaborate with CZMCARIB and local security partners. We learned a great deal about operating in the challenging conditions of the Caribbean as part of the CZMCARIB joint headquarters.
Curaçao, Bonaire, and Aruba provided the reconnaissance platoons with the opportunity to enhance their general military skills, as well as more specialized training such as tactical and technical reconnaissance and surveillance tasks, close quarters combat, and the deployment of unmanned systems and drones. Besides working on increasing our own operational readiness, we also collaborated and trained with the Curaçaoan military, CZMCARIB units, and local security partners. It was remarkable to see how, despite differences in background and working methods, we could jointly contribute to security and stability. Although we sometimes had to adjust our ambitions, this period not only increased our knowledge and skills, but also strengthened our situational awareness and ties with our partners in the Caribbean.”
The Charlie "Tiger" Company is beginning its fifth rotation in the Caribbean. Captain Roderik is looking forward to working and training with his unit in the region. As part of the 11th Infantry Battalion, the Grenadiers and Hunters Guards Regiment, they are normally deployed from helicopters or by parachute, within the three main missions of the armed forces. The company delivers high-quality combat power on the ground and from the air. As a company in the West, the emphasis is primarily on foot operations. Over the next four months, the unit will be reinforced with medical capacity from the 11th Medical Company and a UAS group with drones. In addition to being ready to carry out missions for CZMCARIB, the focus will be on its own training program. The climate and environment provide an excellent opportunity to work on physical and mental development, leadership, and determination within the unit. Captain Roderik is looking forward to collaborating with local security partners and expects this to be an enjoyable and productive period.
The Royal Netherlands Army has a permanent company in the Caribbean. This unit, commanded by CZMCARIB, can be deployed for a variety of tasks. Over the next four months, the company will be training in Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao.
