Lieutenant-Colonel of Marines Timon van Dishoeck transferred the command over to rank mate Art van Beekhuizen, after serving as comman der for 3 years. On Wednesday August 14th, 2019 in the presence of the Commander of the naval forces in the Caribbean, Brigadier General of the Marines de Vin; the Governor of Aruba, Boekhoudt; various local authorities, and invited guests and the staff working in the barracks.
Departing Commander Lieutenant Colonel of Marines van Dishoeck looked back on the intense period of his command at ‘ the most beautiful barracks’ in his opinion. What the Commander takes with him is a lasting impression of the lightness of life on Aruba, the deployment of the soldiers from Aruba after the passing of Hurricane Irma and organizing large events including a tour around Aruba, and the yearly Open House of the Marines barracks.
“I hereby declare taken over the command of the Marines barracks,” said the new Commander addressing his crew and emphaticizing on the importance of teamwork and commitment. “If the cooperation here on Aruba leads to sincere commitment, there is nothing standing in our way preventing our success. At the end of the day, it is important to note that you are not alone but you can rely on sincere support,” said the new Commander.
After the ceremony, guests were given the opportunity to say goodbye to outgoing Commander and to congratulate the incoming Commander. Van Dishoeck and his family will be departing next week to the Netherlands. After a short vacation, he will start his new function as a liaison between the Department of Defense and the second Room in The Hague.q
