Change at the largest Bundeswehr base

On Friday, 24 September 2021 at 10 am, The commander of the task forces and head of the naval command's Operations Division, Rear Admiral Jürgen zur Mühlen (61), will take over the Command the Operational flotilla 2 from Flotilla Admiral Ralf Kuchler (51) to his successor, Flotilla Admiral Axel Schulz (50).

The outgoing commander, Flotilla Admiral Ralf Kuchler, has been the commander of the Operational flotilla 2. "Three years as commander of the Operational flotilla 2 lie behind me. Three years in which the crews, staff and the ships were put under great strain. In addition to the uninterrupted presence of our frigates and supply units in Bundeswehr operations, we succeeded in organising operational training on our own and supporting foreign policy interests with the deployment of the frigate 'Bayern' to the Indo-Pacific. In addition, we were partly active with 480 comrades in 5 federal states in the course of the Corona-Amtshilfe. All of this was largely managed by the men and women of our operational flotilla under the special circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic. I would like to thank all the soldiers in the flotilla for their commitment and professionalism. Operational flotilla 2 thank you. I am proud to have led such a motivated team", he looks back with pride on the performance of the members of his flotilla and his time in command. From now on, he will be working in Berlin as Head of the Office of the Inspector General of the Bundeswehr.

His successor, Flotilla Admiral Axel Schulz, is moving from his previous position as contingent commander of the German UNIFIL contingent in Lebanon to head the Operational flotilla 2. "The Operational flotilla 2 is facing numerous personnel and material changes. In addition to the commissioning of new ship classes and the associated challenges, we will also have to deal with changes in the structure of the flotilla. Departments are being created around us that will change the demands placed on the navy. This will demand a great deal of mental flexibility, creativity and professionalism from us. As commander, I look forward to working together with the men and women of the Operational flotilla 2 to tackle these tasks", says Schulz with a view to his upcoming time in command.

Axel Schulz's successor as UNIFIL contingent commander is Flotilla Admiral Andreas Mügge, Head of the Personnel, Training and Organisation Department at the Naval Command. This means that almost every single member of the Navy was "moved" in September.