Soon to be Inspector Navy: Vice Admiral Jan C. Kaack - As already mentioned on marineforum.online reported, Inspector General Eberhard Zorn will hand over command of the German Navy to Vice Admiral Jan Christian Kaack on 11 March 2022.
Jan Christian Kaack is currently Commander of the Fleet and Support Forces and Deputy to the Inspector of the Navy. He has been in charge of the navy on an interim basis since the end of January.
Born in Eutin, he gained command experience on speedboats, destroyers, frigates and as an operations and training officer in the French Navy on board the French training ship Jeanne d'Arc. From 2003 to 2004, he was commander of the frigate "Bayern", which recently returned successfully from the Indo-Pacific. Positions as a consultant and head of division in the Federal Ministry of Defence were followed by assignments as commander of Operational Flotilla 1, head of the Operations Department in the Armed Forces Base and commander of the NATO Joint Warfare Centre in Stavanger/Norway.
Vice Admiral Kaack, who moved from Stavanger to Rostock in September, began to form his own picture of the navy. In his view, after three years away, it was essential that I first look and listen around in order to get a realistic and up-to-date picture of our navy. I do this by making many visits to the troops, talking to the leaders of our Petty Officer Corps, reservists, commanders and department heads.
WE ARE MARINE. And I am one of us.
From a conversation that marineforum.online In his discussions with the former commander, it can be expected that Vice Admiral Kaack will approach his task with an understanding of the value of international partnerships and a clear view of what is needed in the area of overall defence. In his eyes, this includes greater agility in all areas. "Allow me to take a trip into the world of football: it is not enough to 'play along' on the pitch - we must have the clear will to be better and to win," said the future Inspector of the Navy. When asked about last year's armaments decisions, he believes the navy is on the right track. "The individual units have made extensive organisational adjustments to these welcome developments." He is well aware that he is tilting at windmills and recognises the need to "keep a watchful eye on the necessary system transitions - both in terms of personnel and material. This is not always easy, as not all processes are in our own hands."
He is willing to take the risk of trying out new possibilities despite the risks involved. "Courage means testing limits, making mistakes in a climate of possibility... that's what will take us forward. Of course, this harbours risks, but also new opportunities. And we should be brave enough to try them out."
In order to strengthen commitment and initiative, he intended to appoint an Innovation, Digitalisation, Empowerment and Agility (IDEA) officer to work directly with him as commander of the fleet and support staff. "Because viable solutions are not always at the end of the processes that have been introduced." He is convinced that the ability to improvise and 'common sense' can often get things done and make things possible.
Last but not least, it is important to him to sharpen the profile of the navy. He puts the men and women of the armed forces centre stage. "We need to communicate what is special about our profession, our values and our identity. Our identity characterises our external image and creates a sense of belonging and solidarity internally." And this is where he remarkably fits in. His daily order of 25 February 2022 on Russian activities in Ukraine concludes: We together - because WE ARE MARINE. And I am one of us.
Whereby I think that Admiral Kaack emphasises ONE.
New Commander of the Fleet and Support Forces: Rear Admiral Frank Lenski
Rear Admiral Frank Lenski succeeds Rear Admiral Frank Lenski as Commander of the Fleet and Deputy to the Chief of Naval Operations. The aerospace engineer, who started out as an aircraft engineering officer for the MK 88 SEA LYNX weapon system, the Navy's on-board helicopter, is a 'flying stoker' who is moving into the second-highest leadership position in the Navy. Following his admiral's staff training, he was deployed as a consultant and head of division at the Federal Ministry of Defence. This was followed by assignments as Head of Department in the Defence Forces Base and Commander of the Naval Support Command. In 2017, he took on the role of Head of Operations Support Division. He has been Chief of Staff at the Naval Command since October 2020. The sixty-year-old looks forward to the new challenge with confidence: "I feel gratitude, pride and humility before this task and at the same time great joy at being able to lead the men and women of the fleet and support forces. At the same time, I am counting on our professionalism and determination in view of the dramatic situation we are all facing in Ukraine. I know I am part of a strong team!"
Flotilla Admiral Axel Deertz, currently Group Head 23 at the Federal Chancellery in Berlin, will be the new Chief of Staff at the Naval Command.
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