Armed forces of the Netherlands The Armed forces of the Netherlands consist of the Army , Navy , and Air Force . The service branches consist of : In addition , within the Kingdom of the Netherlands , there are small local conscript forces on the islands of Aruba ( Arumil ) and Curaçao ( Antmil ) . These operate under the auspices of the Royal Netherlands Navy and Marines . The military ranks of the Dutch armed forces have similarities with British and U . S . military ranks . The highest - ranking officer in the Dutch military is the Chief of the Netherlands Defence Staff , who is usually ( but not necessarily ) a four - star officer ( NATO OF - 9 ) . Foundation in law and purpose . The Dutch armed forces exist by declaration in the constitution of the Netherlands . Article 97 of this constitution determines that the armed forces exist Interestingly , this means that the role and responsibility of the Dutch military in international stability and peacekeeping is constitutionally determined . The same article of the constitution determines that supreme command of the Dutch military resides with the Government of the Netherlands . This has been the case since the constitution was changed in 1983 ; before then , supreme command of the armed forces of The Netherlands was held by the King of The Netherlands . In addition , a second major change in military affairs was made in 2003 . Before then , all citizens of The Netherlands were tasked with the defense of the kingdom . In keeping with the move to a professional military , this article was dropped . Military personnel . The Netherlands ' military is currently a fully professional military . Conscription in the Netherlands was suspended in 1996 with the exception of Aruba and Curaçao . All military branches and specialties , except for the submarine service and the Marine Corps , are open to female recruits . The Korps Mariniers is not open to women because of the extremely high physical demands for initial training it is found impossible for women to become commando s . The Dutch Ministry of Defence employs almost 70 , 000 personnel , including both civilian and military personnel . The Dutch military is part of the NATO militaries and therefore conforms to the structure of a NATO military . It also uses conforming rank structures . All Dutch military personnel , officer s and enlisted personnel , are required to take an oath of allegiance . This oath is recorded in the law on General Military Personnel Regulations ( Algemeen Militair Ambtenarenregelement ) in Article 126a . Unionized military . Unlike many military organizations , Dutch military members are allowed to form and join unions . There are four of these unions : All unions represent both current and retired military personnel and / or civilian personnel . Contemporary campaigns . Since the 1990s , the Dutch military has been involved in four major military campaigns : Afghanistan . As part of Operation Enduring Freedom as a response to those attacks , the Netherlands deployed aircraft as part of the European Participating Air Force ( EPAF ) in support of ground operations in Afghanistan as well as Dutch naval frigates to police the waters of the Middle East / Indian Ocean . The Netherlands deployed further troops and helicopters to Afghanistan in 2006 as part of a new security operation in the south of the country . Dutch ground and air forces totalled almost 2 , 000 personnel during 2006 , taking part in combat operations alongside British and Canadian forces as part of NATO ' s ISAF force in the south . The Netherlands announced in December 2007 that it would begin withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan , which were mainly in Uruzgan Province , in July 2010 . " I do not have assurances that other countries will be ready to replace Netherlands troops , but I am certain that Dutch troops will leave in 2010 , " Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen said . " I indicated that in writing . . . to the NATO secretary general , who has confirmed it . " In January 2009 , Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende reiterated that the 1 , 600 Dutch troops in Afghanistan would end their mission in 2010 , saying " We will stop in Uruzgan in 2010 . " He ruled out the possibility of the Netherlands keeping its troops in Afghanistan past 2010 with any force comparable to its former deployment . In December 2009 , reacting to three requests received from the side of the U . S . by Vice President Biden , the special American representative to Afghanistan Holbrooke and Secretary of State Clinton and a request by Secretary General of NATO Rasmussen as well , the Dutch government announced that the final decision on the continuation of the mission in Uruzgan would be on its agenda in March 2010 . Two ministers from the Dutch Labour Party ( PvdA ) , Koenders ( Development Aid ) and Bos ( Finance and Vice PM ) in the meantime pleaded termination , which was also the opinion of the majority of the Dutch parliament . On 10 December 2009 , the Dutch daily newspaper De Telegraaf reported that the government was exploring areas elsewhere in Afghanistan to set up a new mission . The northern province of Kunduz was mentioned , where at the moment German and Belgian troops were deployed . On 9 December , allegedly PM Balkenende ( CDA ) , the vice - PM ' s Bos ( PvdA ) and Rouvoet ( ChristenUnie ) and the three involved ministers Verhagen ( CDA , Foreign Affairs ) , Van Middelkoop ( ChristenUnie , Defense ) and Koenders ( PvdA , ( Development Aid ) secretly discussed the future Dutch engagement in Afghanistan , together with Commander of the Forces general Van Uhm . In early February 2010 , the disagreement between the PvdA on the one hand and CDA and ChristenUnie on the other about a request from NATO , by improper channels , for a renewed Dutch commitment in Afghanistan , came to a head . CDA and ChristenUnie wanted the freedom to consider this request — in spite of the decisions by the Minister of Defence and the votes in Parliament — whereas PvdA and a majority of the parties in the Dutch parliament stood by the earlier decision and refused any consideration of further Dutch involvement in Afghanistan . Thus , on 20 February , the PvdA had no choice but to resign their ministers from the Cabinet , leading to a collapse of the Dutch government . As a result , the NATO request could not be considered and Dutch troops withdrew later in 2010 according to the schedule agreed in 2007 . On 1 August 2010 the Dutch military formally declared its withdrawal from its four - year mission in Afghanistan ; most soldiers are expected to be back in the Netherlands by September , excepting those working on the reset , redistribution and repatriation of materiel and supplies . The AH - 64 Apache and F - 16 squadron will remain longer in Afghanistan to support the withdrawal process and transports . The Dutch contingent has been replaced by soldiers from the U . S . , Australia , Slovakia , and Singapore .