NATO Biographies: Chief of the General Staff of Belgium

General August. VAN DAELE was born in Sint-Niklaas on Feburary 25, 1944. After having graduated from high school at the Athénée Royal in Sint-Niklaas and the Royal Cadet Training School in Lier, he was admitted to the Royal Military Academy in 1962 as a student in the 117th Polytechnic Class. He was appointed as a second lieutenant on December 25, 1964.

After his graduation in civil engineering in 1967 at the Polytechnic Division, he embarked on his Air Force career as a young technical officer at the Proficiency Training Centre in Brustem.

In 1969, he was appointed to the Mobile Training Unit, set up with the introduction of the Mirage training programme.

In 1971, he joined the Inspection and Technical Acceptance Testing Service, where he occupied the functions of line manager within the Sabca Gosselies section, then at Sabca Haren and subsequently in the itinerant section.

In 1980, he became Commanding Officer Air Maintenance Squadron at the 10th Fighter-Bomber Wing in Kleine-Brogel. At the end of 1980, he was promoted Major and took part in the introduction of the new F-16 weapons system.

In 1983, he was assigned to Air Force Headquarters in Evere, where he took up his duties as Deputy Commanding Officer of the Inspection and Technical Acceptance Testing Service.

In 1984, he was admitted to the Defence College for the course BEM (General Staff Course Graduated).

After his appointment to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in September 1985, he returned to the 10th Fighter-Bomber Wing in Kleine-Brogel as Commanding Officer of the Maintenance Group.

From 1987 onward, he became the Head of the Inspection and Technical Acceptance Testing Service, then the Equipment Inspection Service, and finally took charge of the newly founded Inspection section.

In 1990, he was promoted Colonel.

In 1992, he joined the Equipment section, and due to restructuring of the technical and logistic services of Air Force Headquarters, he took over the command of the new Aviation Equipment section.

Having been promoted to Major-General on June 26, 1994, he held the position of Deputy Chief of Staff – Logistics at Air Force Headquarters.

On 26 December 1999, he was promoted to Lieutenant-General.

He is a member of the Higher Committee of Surveillance, and is a member of the Board of Directors of the von Karman Institute.

He also occupied the function of National Representative to the Advisory Group for Aerospace Research and Development (AGARD) until November 1996, when he became National Delegate to the Research and Technology Board (R&T Board).

On 1 January 2002, he’s holding the position of Director General for Material Resources at the Defense Staff.

On the 6th of December 2002 he is designated by the Council of Ministers to become Chief of Defence with a four years mandate. He took up his duties on the 1st of January 2003. At the same time he was promoted to General.

General August VAN DAELE is aide to the King.