Admiral Rob Bauer
Former Chair of the Military Committee of NATO
Admiral Rob Bauer (Royal Netherlands Navy) was Chair of the Military Committee of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) from June 2021 until January 2025. As the Military Adviser to the Secretary General and the North Atlantic Council, Admiral Bauer was NATO’s most senior military officer.
As Chief of Defence (2017-2021), he commanded the Netherlands Armed Forces during the first four years of substantial investments after a decades-long period of cutbacks. Transforming the organization required determination, strategic foresight and the ability to rebuild trust in and amongst the Armed Forces.‘Expect the unexpected’ is for Admiral Bauer a personal mantra, as well as a sacred principle for every military force. In this time of political power shifts and increasingly complex security threats, he firmly believes that the strength of the North Atlantic Alliance lies in its cohesion.
Education
Bauer entered the Royal Netherlands Navy through the Royal Naval College in 1981 until commissioned as a 3rd class lieutenant (Lieutenant ter zee der 3de klasse) in 1984. He also completed the Advanced Strategic and General Studies Programme in 1998.