MARCO KROON

Major Marco Kroon (Den Bosch, July 15, 1970) has been working at the Staff Command of the Land Forces as a staff officer for veterans' affairs and post-active personnel since September 2020.

He is the first military officer since 1955 to be admitted to the Military William Order, the highest military honour in the Netherlands. Queen Beatrix knighted Kroon on 29 May 2009 and presented him with the insignia.

In 1989, Marco Kroon began his military career with the Marine Corps. He was deployed to Iraq and Cambodia, among other places.

In 1994, he transferred to the Army. After his training, he started in 1995 as a group commander at the 17th Armoured Infantry Battalion in Oirschot. With this unit, he departed for Bosnia for six months in 1996.

In 1998, he transferred to the Commando Corps in Roosendaal. During his commando training, he was named Best Man of his course.

In 2000, he returned to Bosnia. After this mission, he went to the Royal Military Academy in Breda to become an officer. After training, he returned as a platoon commander with the 17th Armoured Infantry Battalion. In 2003, he was deployed to Bosnia with this unit, this time as a platoon commander in the Stabilization Force (SFOR) mission.

In 2004, he returned to the Commando Corps in Roosendaal and held various leadership positions. He participated in the Stabilisation Force Iraq in 2004 and was deployed to Afghanistan three times (2005, 2006, and 2007).

From July 2012 to November 2013, he was a company commander at the 17th Armoured Infantry Battalion of the Princess Irene Fusiliers Guard Regiment in Oirschot.

From November 2013 to November 2014, he was once again employed by the Commando Corps in Roosendaal.

From early 2014 to mid-August 2014, he was deployed to Mali as part of the UN mission Minusma. On November 3, he was promoted to major.

From November 2014 to December 2016, he worked as a trainer at the Royal Netherlands Army's Land Training Centre in Amersfoort.

From February 2017 to August 2020, he worked as a Staff Officer for Veterans, Business, and Ceremonial Representation Relations of the Armed Forces at the Inspector General of the Armed Forces.

From September 2020 to the present, he has been working as a Staff Officer for Veterans Affairs and Retired Personnel, Royal Netherlands Army in Utrecht.