Dick Berlijn

General Dick Lodewijk Berlijn
Berlijn in 2005
Chief of Defence
In office 5 June 2004 – 17 April 2008
Preceded by	Lieutenant admiral Luuk Kroon
Succeeded by	General Peter van Uhm
Personal details
Born	(1950-03-18) March 18, 1950 Amsterdam
Awards	Legion of Merit, NATO Medal, Order of Orange-Nassau, Légion d´honneur
Nickname	"Quicky"
Military service
Allegiance	Netherlands
Branch/service	Royal Netherlands Air Force
Years of service	1969–2008
Rank	General
Commands	Chief of the Netherlands Defence Staff
Battles/wars	UNIFIL, Operation Deny Flight, ISAF, War in Afghanistan

General Dick Lodewijk Berlijn (born March 18, 1950, in Amsterdam) is a retired Royal Netherlands Air Force four-star general, who served as Chief of Defence of the Netherlands (Chief of the Netherlands Defence Staff) from 2004, when he succeeded Lt. Adm. Luuk Kroon, until 2008, when he was succeeded by Gen. Peter van Uhm. In 2005, the post was renamed from Chef-Defensiestaf to Commandant der Strijdkrachten ("Commander of the Armed Forces") following a reorganisation, but the term "Chief of Defence Staff" is still the one usually used in English translations. His office saw Dutch military presence in Uruzgan with ISAF, as well as naval contributions to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, among other interventions. He has been awarded with the Légion d'honneur and the Legion of merit, and the Order of Orange-Nassau, all in the degree of commander, and the Order of Orange-Nassau with swords. Berlijn graduated from the Koninklijke Militaire Academie in 1973.

Awards and honours

Commander in the Order of Orange-Nassau with the Swords
Commander in the Legion of Merit
Commander in the Legion of Honour
Cross for the Four Day Marches
Officers Cross
NATO Medal for the former Yugoslavia