Commodore Michiel B Hijmans
Commander Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (COM SNMG2)

Commodore Michiel Bart Hijmans was born in Amsterdam on 22 April 1958. After completing his secondary education in 1978, he enlisted in the Royal Netherlands Navy as a midshipman. Upon completion of that training, he was posted as a watch officer to the frigate HNLMS Van Kinsbergen, transferring later to the guided-missile frigate HNLMS Tromp.
In 1985, he attended training for principal warfare officer at the Operational School in Den Helder, where he specialised in navigation and battle information. That was followed by combat controller training at the Control and Reporting Centre of the Royal Netherlands Air Force in Nieuw Milligen.
He was then assigned, in succession, to the guided missile frigate HNLMS De Ruyter and the frigate HNLMS Philips van Almonde as air defence and navigation officer. During his posting to the Philips van Almonde, he spent 9months in the Caribbean region. In 1991, Commodore Hijmans was appointed Head of the Air Control Section of the Operational School with responsibility for helicopter training and ship qualification for helicopter operations. He then served for two years as Head of Operations on HNLMS Tromp, the staff ship of the squadron.
In 1994, he attended the Advanced Strategic and General Studies Course, after which he was posted to the Personnel Management Division of the Directorate of Personnel of the Royal Netherlands Navy in The Hague. His duties there were related to filling officer positions and officer career planning.
In October 1996, he was promoted to commander and appointed as Deputy Head of Personnel Management with the Directorate of Personnel. From July 1998 to August 2000, he commanded the Multi-purpose-class frigate HNLMS Karel Doorman. During that period, the ship was assigned to Standing Naval Forces Atlantic (Stanavforlant) and Mediterranean (Stanavformed). He then served as staff officer, personnel with the Deputy Director for International Plans and Cooperation in the office of the Chief of the Defence Staff in The Hague. In that assignment, his duties included responsibility for the management of all postings abroad of the Defence organisation.

On 29 May 2002, he was promoted to captain and given command of the HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën, the first in a series of four new air defence and command frigates. He also had command of the Tromp Naval Detachment, later HNLMS Tromp, from 10 September 2002 to June 2004.

From January to June 2004, he attended the Advanced Defence Management Studies course at the Netherlands Defence College in Rijswijk.

United States of America at the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Washington, D.C. and promoted to commodore.
From mid-2005 to mid-2007, he also served as Dean of the Defence Attaché Corps in D.C., an appointment made by the Pentagon. For his work he was awarded the ‘Legion of Merit’ and the ‘Defense Intelligence Agency Directors Award’.

Since the end of June 2008, he has held the position of Assistant Chief of Staff for International Military
Cooperation (SCIMS) within the Netherlands Defence Staff, The Hague. On completion of this tour he received the 'Medaille de la Défense National Echelon d’Or’ from France for his efforts to enhance the French-Netherlands military relations.

As from June 30 2010 he is the Commanding Officer of the Standing NATO Maritime Group 2, conducting Operation Ocean Shield (counter piracy), Operation Active Endeavour (counter terrorism) and other operations.
Commodore Hijmans is married to Ingrid Boelema Robertus. They have 3 children: a son (born in 1987) and two daughters (born in 1990 and 1992). His hobbies include nature walks, sports, reading and cooking.