For director Richard Delger of the Thorbecke Academy, part of HBO Training NHL Stenden, an emphatic wish is fulfilled. He was not yet with the HBO courses Integrated Security and CyberSafety in Assen, or he already dropped his eye on the barracks area. “The time that the Ministry of Defense was on an island, we can only reinforce each other.” Delger also immediately brought in the theoretical reservist training. Defense now has 800 reservists, but wants to grow to at least 20,000 in the coming years to increase national security and resilience.
Next September is the day. This is followed by the first group of reservists from 200 to 250 men at Defense in Assen a ten -week physical military basic training. Earlier they receive the theoretical training at the Thorbecke Academy for ten weeks, at the Safety Campus. Until now, this training was only given in Amsterdam. According to Ronald Voorn, coordinator of the reserve training sessions, it was ‘a logical step’ to choose the defense complex in Assen as a second training location.
Director Bob Bergsma of Entrepreneurial Assen is happy with the first concrete steps, which should strengthen the position of the barracks. “We managed to prevent the JWF barracks for the umpteenth time, through unable collaboration, a few years ago. But the arrival of the safety campus and the meeting and training center for government services, that is only a first step. More must follow, so that the defense complex will be constricted with all sorts of functions.