Ad Covets

SENIOR NCO OF THE ROYAL NETHERLANDS ARMY

Ad Covets started his military career at the Royal Military NCOs’ School in Weert on 4 January 1982, after which he trained at the Infantry Training Centre in Harderwijk. He spent just under a year as instructor/group commander in 17 Armoured Infantry Battalion before becoming a platoon sergeant.

In July 1988, he joined the Commando Corps earning his green beret in Class of 88-4, and became an instructor teaching the armoured storm and combat course ‘Pantserstorm & Gevechtscursus’ at the Royal Military NCOs’ School and Royal Military Academy.

In his role as Deputy Head of Operational Personnel Affairs, Koevoets was promoted to Sergeant Major followed by an appointment to Company Sergeant Major of 108 Commando Company. This was followed by a deployment to Bosnia-Herzegovina, as the National Liaison Officer in the Multi National Division responsible for the Joint Commission Observers of the Commando Corps in Bugojno.

Koevoets is a graduate of the Sergeants Major Academy, Class 53, and earned the USASMA International Leadership Award. Following graduation, he was promoted to warrant officer and started work at the Royal Military NCOs’ School as a secondary training instructor. In August 2004, he deployed to Iraq for more than six months as NCO alongside General Major Hilderink, commander of the NATO Training Implementation Mission. He was responsible for the training of Iraqi NCOs and officers under operational circumstances.

In 2005, Koevoets was promoted to Senior Staff NCO and Acting Chief Instructor at the Royal Military NCOs’ School for more than a year. He set up international courses for the PfP countries in Luzern, Switzerland, and for NATO countries in Oberammergau in Germany. He then became Senior Training Centre NCO at the Manoeuvre Training Centre.

In 2011, he was appointed to the role of Senior Corps NCO of the Commando Corps. Followed by an assignment as the Senior NCO of the Royal Military NCOs’ School.

Ad Koevoets held two roles for the Royal Netherlands Army Central Staff, for a short period at the Directorate of Training and Operations, and for three years at the Directorate of Personnel and Organisation where he was the link between the Directorate, the personnel on the shop floor, and the Senior NCO of the Royal Netherlands Army. In June 2019, he became the Senior NCO of the Royal Netherlands Army himself.