A new chef for Althea in December, as well as for Eunavfor
(BRUSSELS2) The EU military operation deployed in Bosnia-Herzegovina (Eufor Althea) will change commanders on 3 December next. The Political and Security Committee (PSC) has just approved it today (27 November). Austrian General Dieter Heidecker will thus succeed his compatriot General Robert Brieger, who had been in office for a year, in December 2011. remains maintained with an executive role by the will in particular of the countries of central Europe (and therefore Austria) as well as the United Kingdom.
Born February 26, 1954 in Kufstein, Heidecker comes from a military family. He did his voluntary service and was then a volunteer (1972-1976) before studying at the Wiener Neustadt Military Academy, from which he graduated as an infantry officer in the hunter company. He then climbed all the steps. First as a train commander and in the 21st Kufstein Battalion (1979-1985) then as a teacher at the Military Academy on tactics and staff command.
In 1992, after leading the Zwölfaxing logistic support regiment, he left for Paris to follow the higher course of the joint war school in Paris, where he served in the parachute troops of the marine infantry. In particular, he will carry out training in difficult terrain with the Foreign Legion which will leave him with... excellent memories (afterwards). On his return, he commanded the 4th Mechanized Brigade of Linz-Ebelsberg (1993-1995) before returning to Paris. First, he was military attaché to WEU - Western European Union (1995-1997), when the latter provided a police detachment in Mostar (ancestor of the future police mission of the European Union). Then, in 1997, he became military attaché of the bilateral embassy in France (he also assures the representation with Tunisia, Morocco and Luxembourg).
In 2002, he was appointed Deputy Commander of the Land Force. After training at the NATO college in 2005, he became in February 2006, deputy commander of the Austrian armed forces.
