WILLEMSTAD, Curaçao – On August 19, 2020, Brigadier General of the Marines Peter Jan de Vin transferred his position of Commander of the Navy in the Caribbean, also Director of the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard, and Commander Task Group 4.4 to Brigadier General of the Marines Frank Boots. The ceremony for the change of command took place at the Rima jetty at the Parera naval base in Curaçao.
The weather was beautiful with a beautiful clear sky during the ceremony of the change of command. The ceremony on the Rima jetty went well and all the guests enjoyed it. Brigadier General of the Marines Peter Jan de Vin, thanked everyone in his speech for the pleasant cooperation during the past three years. After Brigadier General de Vin’s speech, the new General Boots addressed the guests. “It is a great honor for me to stand here before you as the new Commander of the Navy in the Caribbean, Director of the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard and Task Force Commander 4.4. Despite the fact that cultures are different from each other, it
is beautiful to see that people can come together and work together on for a safe future for all the island residents. My aim is to understand your culture and to connect with you. Only together we can perform the tasks for which we are responsible. This is beautifully reflected in our motto: “Together Strong”. Let us form a team together to make all our countries within the
Kingdom stronger and safer”; said Frank Boots the new director of the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard.
The ceremony was attended by a number honorable guests. The Governor of Curaçao, Lucille Andrea George-Wout and Commander of the Naval Forces Vice-Admiral, Rob Kramer from the Netherlands were two of the honorable guests whom attended the ceremony. Due to COVID-19 measures, many guests were not able to fly to Curaçao to attend the ceremony. Therefore the
eremony was broadcasted via livestream on Facebook so that everyone could watch it.
The ceremony ended with a reception in the longroom at the Parera Naval Base. The Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard staff wishes the new director Boots the best of luck in his new position.
