THE NETHERLANDS (THE HAGUE) – Minister Plenipotentiary Drs. Gracita R. Arrindell, recently attended the ceremonial Change of Command Royal Marechaussee at the Fokker Terminal on Binckhorstlaan in The Hague.
During the ceremony, Lieutenant General Annelore Roelofs formally transferred command of the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee to Lieutenant General Roger Costongs. Minister Arrindell took part in the civil cortege at the opening ceremony alongside other dignitaries and representatives underscoring the significance of the occasion.
The ceremonial center piece was the transfer of the Standard of the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee from Roelofs to Costongs. The Standard represents the authority, traditions and identity of the military police organization.
Roelofs stepped down after three years as commander. She made history as the first woman to lead the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee. In her farewell remarks, she reflected on her term and thanked the organization’s personnel for their readiness to serve when called upon.
In addition to becoming Commander of the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, Costongs assumed the ceremonial position of Governor of the Residence—Gouverneur der Residentie. This is a military position historically connected to The Hague as the seat of the Dutch government and Royal Court.
The Royal Netherlands Marechaussee has a continuing operational presence in the Dutch Caribbean. In Sint Maarten, it principally supports: Border-control operations; Immigration-related duties; Investigations into cross-border crime; Efforts against human smuggling and drug trafficking; Cooperation with the Police Force of Sint Maarten and other justice organizations; Assistance during emergencies, elections and periods requiring additional security capacity.
Because Sint Maarten is an autonomous country within the Kingdom, the Marechaussee performs supporting and agreed Kingdom-level functions and works closely with all justice chain institutions.
