Sander Schnitger facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alexander Schnitger
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | November 3, 1958 Rotterdam, South Holland, Netherlands |
| Died | June 27, 2020 (aged 61) |
| Allegiance |  The Netherlands |
| Service/ |
Royal Netherlands Air Force |
| Years of service | 1979–2016 |
| Rank |  Lieutenant General |
| Commands held | Royal Netherlands Air Force Volkel Air Base 315 Squadron |
| Battles/wars | Operation Deny Flight Operation Allied Force |
Alexander Schnitger (born November 11, 1958 – died June 27, 2020) was a very important officer in the Royal Netherlands Air Force. He even became the top leader of the entire Air Force.
Contents
Becoming a Pilot
Alexander Schnitger was born in Rotterdam, a big city in the Netherlands. He decided to join the military and went to the Military Academy in Breda. This is where he learned many important skills for his future career.
After the academy, he continued his training to become a pilot. He trained at Sheppard Air Force Base and officially became a qualified pilot in March 1984. When he returned to the Netherlands, he started flying for the 314 squadron at Eindhoven Airport. A squadron is a group of planes and pilots that work together.
Flying for the "Double Dutch" Team
In 1988, Alexander Schnitger became the leader of a special team called 'Double Dutch'. This was a demonstration team for the Royal Netherlands Air Force. They flew amazing shows with NF-5 planes. Later, in 1990, he trained to fly the F-16, which is a very fast and powerful fighter jet. He then joined the 312 squadron at Volkel Air Base.
Leading the Air Force
Alexander Schnitger took on many important roles as he moved up in the Air Force. In 2001, he started working as a planner for the Ministry of Defence (Netherlands). This meant he helped plan big changes for the Dutch Armed Forces.
In 2004, he became the Director of Operations at CAOC 4 in Germany. This was a big step, and he was promoted to the rank of colonel.
Commander of Volkel Air Base
In 2005, Schnitger was given the important job of Commander of Volkel Air Base. This meant he was in charge of the entire air base. Three years later, in 2008, he was promoted again to Air commodore. He then became the Director of Operations for the Air Force Staff.
In December 2009, he was promoted to Major General. He became the Director of Operational Needs, Policy and Planning at the Ministry of Defence (Netherlands).
Top Leader of the Air Force
Alexander Schnitger reached the highest position in the Royal Netherlands Air Force. From March 9, 2012, until June 10, 2016, he was the Commander of the Royal Netherlands Air Force. This means he was the main leader of all the Air Force operations and personnel.
He passed away on June 27, 2020, at the age of 61.
