Major General René van den Berg

Commander, Defence Cyber Command Netherlands Armed Forces

Major General R.W.A. (René) van den Berg was conscripted into the Netherlands Armed Forces for national service in 1991. After successfully completing the Special Forces Selection Course he served in the Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol Company of the Korps Commandotroepen as an Assistant Team Leader. Between 1992 and 1995 van den Berg served in several positions within the Netherlands Army Special Operations Forces, both as a Team Leader and as part of the Training Cadre. In 1996 he was promoted to Second Lieutenant. In 1999 van den Berg graduated from the Royal Netherlands Military Academy and was commissioned as an infantry officer. Between 1999 and 2002 van den Berg served as a Platoon Commander within one of the Special Operations Companies of the Korps Commandotroepen. Between 2002 and 2004, as an exchange officer, Captain van den Berg held the position of Assistant Chief Operations and Squadron Second-in-Command of the Netherlands Maritime Special Operations Forces. From 2004 till 2007 Captain van den Berg acted as the Second-in-Command of one of the Army Special Operations Companies within the Korps Commandotroepen. During the same time period he received his Intermediate Level Education at the Netherlands Defence College. From 2007 till 2009 Major van den Berg served as Company Commander within the Korps Commandotroepen. From 2009 till 2012 van den Berg was assigned to the Netherlands Defence Staff where he performed duties as Staff Officer Operations within the Joint Special Operations Branch of the Directorate of Operations. From 2012 till 2014 van den Berg studied at the General Staff Officers Course and the School of Advanced Military Studies at the US Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth. Van den Berg graduated as top student and received the "Best Monograph Award." Upon his return to the Netherlands, Lieutenant Colonel van den Berg was assigned to the Army Staff as Senior Staff Officer within the Plans and Policy Division. In 2015 he became the head of the Plans and Policy Division within the Joint Special Operations Branch of the Directorate of Operations. Subsequently, Lieutenant Colonel van den Berg served as part of a project-team, designed to establish the NLD Special Operations Command, in the position of the head of the Commanders Advisory Group