The world's security situation changed drastically after the Fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. In the Netherlands, the need arose for a rapid reaction force for expeditionary operations. Consequently, the 11 Air Assault Brigade was formed in 1992. Due to the highly specialised nature of the brigade the army decided that the brigade would not rely on conscripts, but instead recruit professional soldiers from other units. After ten years of pioneering, the brigade acquired its operational readiness status in October 2003.