1. Navy

Personnel

The greatest strength of the Royal Netherlands Navy is its personnel. The men and women of the Navy determine the quality and the state of readiness of their units. Robust maritime capability is derived from having personnel who are well trained, have the proper mentality and have reliable, modern equipment at their disposal.

Responsibility is delegated to as low a level as possible in the organisation, and every person is furnished with a set of skills to enable them to execute their assigned duties competently and safely. After all, every individual contributes directly or indirectly to security both at and from the sea. Fleet personnel and Marines, supported by civilian personnel, rely greatly on each other. 

The Royal Netherlands Navy employs a total of 10,993 military and civilian personnel. Of this number, 9,946 are military personnel: 6,886 sailors and 3,060 marines. (01-01-2010) 

Corps and Service Groups

Every Navy serviceman and servicewoman is part of a corps or a service group. The Navy has 5 different corps and 6 different service groups. Most officers belong to one of the 5 corps. The petty officers and the other ratings belong to one of the 6 service groups. 

Stripes and Decorations

A uniform carries a lot of information. It is really a sort of curriculum vitae. The lapel shows the corps or the service group that the wearer belongs to. The coloured decorations on the chest show when and where military personnel were deployed and the missions and activities they took part in. The stripes on the sleeve indicate a certain rank or standing. 

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