On June 29th at Headquarters Eurocorps, Belgian Lieutenant General Peter Devogelaere handed command of the headquarters to his successor, Polish Lieutenant General Jaroslaw Gromadzinski at the Aubert de Vincelles Barracks in Strasbourg.
Chaired by Lieutenant General Markus Laubenthal, German Deputy Chief of Defence, this ceremony was held in the presence of the Minister of Defence from Poland, Mariusz Blaszczak, and the Chiefs of Defence from the other Framework Nations (Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Poland and Spain) as well as numerous guests, and civil and military authorities.
General Laubenthal underlined the highlights of the outgoing Commander Peter Devogelaere. He has been faced with a variety of challenges. Major elements of Eurocorps were deployed on behalf of the EU from January 2021 through June 2022. Eurocorps personnel assumed command of the Mission HQs of four EU Training Missions, two in Mali and two in Central Africa. All in all, more than 200 Eurocorps personnel, including three generals, were deployed. Finally, General Laubenthal thanked General Devogelaere for his performance and the excellent command of Eurocorps during the past two years: “You have done an outstanding job!”
Addressing the incoming Commander Jaroslaw Gromadzinski, Laubenthal highlighted the historical moment, being the first Polish Commanding General since the inauguration of Eurocorps in 1993. He wished him plenty of luck for his term as Commander: “I am sure that Eurocorps will be in best hands with you. You will hit the ground running!”
After taking command of Eurocorps, Lieutenant General Gromadzinski stressed the uniqueness and duality of the Corps: “I am convinced that Eurocorps as a multinational structure with solid operational experience, both within EU and NATO framework, is capable to address all of present and future challenges. I am sure that taking from our multinational strength we will prevail – United for mission, United for Eurocorps!”
Headquarters Eurocorps is a force available for the European Union and NATO. The multinational Command is capable of planning, preparing and leading large-scale and complex military operations. It consists of 11 countries. Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Poland and Spain are Framework Nations. These countries are the co-owners who jointly steer, manage, fund and staff Headquarters Eurocorps. The Associated Nations Austria, Greece, Italy, Romania and Türkiye are partners that mainly support Eurocorps by providing staff officers. At the end of 2023, Eurocorps will be certified by NATO as a Joint Force Headquarters for a wide range of missions.
