Gijs TuinmanMinister for Arms Procurement and Personnel
Born on 15 November 1979 in Heerlen, unmarried
Party: Farmer-Citizen Movement (BBB)
Effective and resilient armed forces are crucial for our security. Their strength lies in well-trained and well-equipped military personnel and in the ideas that inform their deployment. We will modernise employment conditions and veterans’ care, and invest in equipment, digital capacity and more space. We will work to facilitate our defence industry and increase our society’s resilience.
Personnel policy
Supply of materiel
Defence industry cooperation
Real estate and spatial development
IT and innovation
Physical and social and emotional safety
Enhancing the Netherlands’ resilience
2 July 2024
Appointed Minister for Arms Procurement and Personnel in the Schoof government
6 December 2023 – 2 July 2024
Member of the House of Representatives for BBB; party spokesperson on foreign affairs, foreign trade and development cooperation, defence, and EU affairs
2021 – 2023
Researcher and PhD candidate, War Studies, Faculty of Military Sciences, Netherlands Defence Academy
2019 – 2021
University lecturer in War Studies, Advanced Defence Studies programme, Netherlands Defence Academy
2018 – 2019
Head of the Commander’s Advisory Group (CAG), Ministry of Defence
2017 – 2018
Student, Advanced Military Studies programme, School of Advanced Military Studies, Fort Leavenworth, United States
2016 – 2017
Student, Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, United States
2013 – 2015
Staff Officer, Management Support Division, Royal Netherlands Army Staff
2012 – 2013
Senior consultant on public strategy, Deloitte
2002 – 2012
Various positions in the Commando Corps, Ministry of Defence; staff officer, Special Operations Interservice Centre of Expertise (IKSO) (2011-2012), deputy commander, 104 Commando Company (2009-2011), multiple team operations commander (2007 – 2009), team commander, Joint Terminal Attack Controller (2002-2007)
2003 – 2010
Various military deployments in Afghanistan and Africa, as liaison/planner, multiple team operations commander, platoon commander and team commander
June 2017 – June 2018
Master’s degree in Military Art and Science, Military Operations, School of Advanced Military Studies, Fort Leavenworth, United States
June 2016 – June 2018
Command and General Staff College, including studies at the School of Advanced Military Studies, Fort Leavenworth, United States
October 2011 – October 2012
MPA programme (certificates), Leiden University
March 2010 – June 2010
Military operations module, Intermediate Defence Studies, Amersfoort
August 1998 – August 2001
Military sciences, Royal Military Academy, Breda
