13th Light Brigade Logo of the 13th Light Brigade
Active 1949–present Country Netherlands Branch Royal Netherlands Army Type Infantry Role Light Size 3000 personnel Part of 10th Panzer Division Garrison/HQ Oirschot Nickname(s) Rhino's Motto(s) Vigilans et paratus Colors Black & Yellow Mascot(s) Rhino Current Brigadier General G.J. (Gert-Jan) Kooij Notable BGen. G. (Gerard) Koot
Military unit
The 13th Light Brigade (Dutch : 13 Lichte Brigade ) is one of the three combat brigades of the Royal Netherlands Army , the other ones being 11th Airmobile Brigade and 43rd Mechanised Brigade .[1] Fennek , Boxer and Bushmaster wheeled, armoured vehicles.
History
The brigade was formed as the 13th Motorized Brigade, and came from the 3rd Infantry Brigade. The 3rd Infantry Brigade was part of the First Division "7 December" , which was formed on 1 September 1946. In 1950 the brigade was transformed into a mechanized infantry brigade, the 13th Mechanized brigade, which became part of the 4th Division and was stationed in North Germany. After the reforms of 1970 the brigade became again a part of the First Division. In the early 1990s the brigade became a fully mechanized brigade. In 2013, the brigade lost its mechanized infantry fighting vehicles and was equipped with wheeled equipment and therefore renamed 13th Light Brigade.[2]
In 2023 the brigade was integrated into the German Army's 10th Panzer Division .[3]
Organization
Garderegiment Fuseliers Prinses Irene in the Hague during Prinsjesdag in 200813th Light Brigade personnel in Mazar-i-Sharif , Afghanistan in 2018 The 13th Light Brigade is made up by the following units:[4] [5]
13 Light Brigade , in Oirschot
13 Staff Company (13 Stafcompagnie), in Oirschot
17 Armoured Infantry Battalion "Fuseliers Prinses Irene " (17 Pantserinfanteriebataljon Fuseliers Prinses Irene), in Oirschot
42 Armoured Infantry Battalion "Limburgse Jagers " (42 Pantserinfanteriebataljon Limburgse Jagers), in Oirschot
A; B; C and D Company, with Boxer armoured fighting vehicles
30 National Reserve Corps (NATRES) Battalion (30 Natresbataljon), in Vlissingen
Alpha Company (Alfacompagnie), in Vlissingen
Bravo Company (Bravocompagnie), in Breda
Charlie Company (Charliecompagnie), in Oirschot
Delta Company (Deltacompagnie), in Brunssum
Echo Company (Echocompagnie), in Vredepeel
41 Armoured Engineer Battalion (41 Pantsergeniebataljon), in Oirschot
Staff Company, 411 and 412 Armored Engineer Company, 414 CBRN Defense Company
42 Brigade Reconnaissance Squadron "Huzaren van Boreel " (42 Brigadeverkenningseskadron Huzaren van Boreel), in Oirschot, with Fennek light armoured reconnaissance vehicles 13 Medical Company (13 Geneeskundige Compagnie), in Oirschot
13 Maintenance Company (13 Herstelcompagnie), in Oirschot
Robotics and Autonomous Systems Cell (Robotica en Autonome Systemen cel), in Oirschot 
Netherlands
