Translated from a German Navy press release
Due to the recent increase in the number of infections in the Berlin area, the change of command took place without the usual military ceremonies and without invited guests.
“I am extremely grateful. On the one hand, that the men and women of the Navy have supported and carried me. The Navy is teamwork! On the other hand, that my family has bravely endured what our job entails,” summed up the outgoing inspector of the Navy not only his 45 years of service, but also his six and a half year tenure at the helm of the Navy.
No one else before him was Navy Inspector for so long. His term of office was marked by a radical paradigm shift in Germany’s security and defense policy. After 30 years of peace dividends and focusing on international crisis management, it was important to change course decisively in the direction of national and alliance defense. The operations of international crisis management, the recognized missions of NATO and the securing of the free sea routes also remain obligations of the Navy.
“The Navy has to fulfill these orders at the same time and on an equal footing, with what is currently the smallest fleet since it was founded,” continued Vice Admiral Krause. Born in Lübeck, he stood for very transparent management of the Navy. He communicated as the first inspector of a branch of the armed forces via Twitter. In doing so, he practically ushered in a new era in communication.
“Persistence in processes and structures that we have grown fond of is a hindrance,” he wrote recently on Twitter. Under his leadership, the navy shaped the trend reversals initiated by politics and initiated the process of equipping the navy in line with the task at hand.
A former commander of the Brandenburg-class frigate Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Vice Admiral Schönbach is looking forward to the challenge:
“I am honored and grateful for the great trust that has been placed in me. I will continue on this successful path to modernizing the navy comprehensively and equipping it appropriately. Even now, peaceful, free and safe maritime trade routes are of decisive importance. The German Navy is the only security policy instrument that politicians can use flexibly to guarantee our security and ultimately our prosperity.”
Vice-Admiral Schönbach, however, is looking ahead: “In order to be able to cope with the full range of tasks in the long term, the Navy must be adequately equipped and prepared for future challenges. With reliable and sustainable financing, it will also be possible to position the Navy for the future.“
